One Piece: SHF Film - STRONG(ER) WORLD
by Hotspot the 626th
Summary: Back again, and this time I'm going to do it fantastical. Return with the daughter of Luffy and Nami as well as cabin boy Akio as they re-experience STRONG(ER) WORLD once again. More characters, higher stakes, an even bigger adventure; will the Straw Hat crew be able to beat "Golden Lion" Shiki again!
1. Scene 1

**Author's note: One last time...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. One Piece is the property of Oda Eiichiro, Shonen Jump, Toei Animation, and Funimation. Please support the official release.**

 **Yo! I'm Hotspot the 626th, infamous writer of One Piece: Straw Hat Family, One Piece: ASL Pirates, and the first STRONG(ER) WORLD. Today, I bring you, in honor of One Piece's 20th Anniversary as well as the first official "One Piece Day" in Japan (July 22), a rewrite of my old story: STRONG(ER) WORLD**

 **Lots of things will be different from the old one. New characters, new ideas, new struggles, maybe even old characters. I hope you all will enjoy this story!**

 **Now, without further delay,**

 **Read, Review, Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 1**

 **Before the Message to the World**

The high noon sun, at its highest point of producing both brightness and heat, was suddenly covered over by an intense dark mass. Unfortunately, this was no cloud, storm or otherwise. For it was something much worst. It did not allow a single shred of light to pierce through its smoke-like substance as it grew increasingly larger by the second. So large it grew that it could cover an entire Marine battleship in shade. Yet, after awhile, it soon stopped. The dark mass now occupying the sky like a storm cloud just waiting to release the rain above this grass-covered landmass floating in the sky.

"Liberation!"

And with a single command, the black substance became active. From the darkness several human beings began descending from the void. Every single one of them pale like ghosts with eyes almost as dead. Barely any seem to move or even care that they were falling falling several feet to the ground. All crashed to the ground welcoming this sensation of pain. Not only humans; a number of unusual beasts, both large and small, fell with them from the mass of darkness with the same complexion. Each one falling with a crash on top of others or hitting the ground itself. It was a rainfall of horror.

It was horror that was only the face of many men - pirates - as they watch this event unfold. Many of them backing away in fright, even risking falling off the edge of the island. It was utterly terrifying; yet, there were a few impressed by this scene. They were the ones who stood in front of the frightened and cowardly men standing both literally and figuratively tall.

One was a tan-skinned man with long, yellow hair like a lion's mane that near touched the ground but did not cover his head as he had a ship's steering wheel lodged there. On his face is a tuft of hair of the same color. His traditional Japanese rob of black and red tied together with a green sash was covered mostly by his tattered yellow-striped coat. Most interestingly, the man's legs were not of flesh and bone but swords with which he stood perfectly on nor seemed to be suffering any pain from their placement. Next to him, standing a little taller, was a man that looked very much like a clown with his blue hair, scarf that seemed to float without the wind, and white face make up. Yet, the man also wore a lab coat as if he were a scientist; in fact, the expression on his face showed some scientific intrigue towards something. Finally, there was a maroon-furred gorilla wearing human clothes of the same color except the scarf, hat, pants. This mighty animal was unaffected by the scene and instead was giving out a long "ooh".

They, and all the men cowering, are the Golden Lion Pirates, and the most important were of course Captain Shiki "the Golden Lion", Dr. Indigo, and Scarlet.

As the rain of people and beasts came to an end, a grinning Shiki began clapping as if he had been watching a show. "Very nice work," he commented while still clapping, "very nice indeed. I can see why you left Whitebeard's crew with this power to pursue your own ambitions."

"Zehahahaha!"

A distinctive laugh echoed jollily as the dark mass began receding back to its source. It streamed down towards the center of the island where a single large and burly man was the apparent source. The darkness seeped into the body of the black-haired man that looked very much like a pirate captain himself. He wasn't alone though; around him were several men and one horse. One who looked like a wrestler, another man who looked sickly and rode an equally sick horse, a tall thin man with a cross-hair monocle, and a pale man in a dress shirt and leotard wearing a top hat with a cane in hand. Much like the three members of the Shiki pirates, they too were not intimidated by the display of power.

They are the Blackbeard Pirates: Captain "Blackbeard" Marshall D. Teach, Jesus Burgess, Doc Q and Stronger, Van Augur, and Laffitte.

Once the darkness had been all absorbed back in, Teach looked at to Shiki and grinned. "Thanks! That means quite a lot coming from a legend like yourself." He said jovially.

Still grinning, though a bit sadistically now, Shiki began stepping forward towards the group. "It's even more impressive that you actually betrayed Whitebeard and are still alive to tell the tale." He spoke sounding impressed.

"What can I say," Teach said with a shrug and a grin, "guess fate doesn't want me to die yet, Zehahaha!"

Shiki laughed as well. "Ji-ha-ha-ha, yeah, must be." He said disingenuous but still smiling.

Without a second thought over the man's words or tone, Teach then asked, "Does this mean we're officially a part of your alliance?"

"But of course." Shiki stated, now directly in front of Teach. "I like the cut of yours and your crew's jib." He then extended his hand out.

"You and your crew are now officially 51st member of the Golden Lion Alliance."

Burgess gave a howl in cheer while each of the other crew members smiled with acceptance. Teach, now grinning joyfully, then took the hand of the pirate legend and shook it to cement their alliance. As he did, he gave his gratitude, "Thanks a lot, Boss, you won't be-"

Suddenly, Teach was cut off as Shiki pulled him in close. Now face to face, Shiki began grinning sadistically at the pirate captain. "But let me make one thing clear," he began saying darkly, "I am not as lenient on traitors as Whitebeard is. If you betray my good intentions, I will not hesitate to kill you and your whole crew in a heartbeat. Is that clear?"

Sweating profusely, Teach nervously smiled and nodded. "Y-You got it, Boss." He said.

Accepting this, Shiki released Teach from his hold. His smile changed to be more jolly and confident as he felt assured of his intimidation tactic. "Good." He told Teach before turning around and walking back. He then also added, "Return back to my headquarters, Captain Blackbeard, and await for my grand plan to begin."

"Sure, no problem." Teach said respectfully.

As Shiki walked by Indigo, he asked, "How were the field test, Doctor?"

"The results were resounding, Captain!" Indigo told the man cheerfully.

"Then, it's time to announce my comeback." Shiki said with a grin. He then walked forward some more until he was now in front of the remaining men, who had now calmed down from the frightful sight from earlier. Ecstatically, Shiki announced to them, "Men, it's time to set sail!"

Without hesitation, and regard to their fellows, the men roared with vigor and excitement. They all began streaming into their ship along with Shiki. The ship they boarded was a fantastic looking craft; it had the appearance of a palace and just as large with a golden lion figurehead on the front. As the sails unfurled and the many oars began paddling, the large ship began sailing through the water. In no time though, surprisingly, the ship was already heading for the edge of the water. Once reached, the ship did not fall down to potential destruction; instead, it rushed right out of the water and flew. The entire ship - now revealing completely to be a large chunk of land - flew with purpose through the sky leaving behind the island it was had been docked at. Much like it, the island too was floating. Even the water kept its shape around the island and floated with it.

What a phenomenon it was, but where was Shiki going in his island ship?

* * *

The next day, newspapers around the world shared two headlines with the populace. The first, and most concerning, was the attack on Marine Headquarters on the island of Marineford in the Grand Line. From the images, it had looked like a hurricane had overturn several battleships; something that should be impossible with their large size. The surrounding docks covered with debris and seaweed. Buildings partially or fully destroyed. Reports told that there were a few number of casualties and even more wounded. Yet, throughout the article, not a single reference was made on who had attack them. There was only the promise by Fleet Admiral Sengoku that the one responsible will be taken down.

And then, there was the second headline. Considered inconsequential by most people in the world; yet, little did they know of its greater connection to a devious plan.

 ** _"East Blue Villages Attacked?!"_**


	2. Scene 2

_"Hello! I am the_ **STRONG Dex** _! My name is Dexter, and I'll be your guide to the marvelous beasts that live on Merveille. Let's discover new and interesting beasts together throughout our journey!"_

 **Read, Review, Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 2**

 **Survive!**

 **Hotspot the 626th proudly presents again…**

In a jungle, a lone man trudged through the foliage with purpose. His blue shirt, side bag, and oversized canteen brushing against each leaf and plant. For any greenery approaching his upper body, he pushed it away with his hands, one of which held a sturdy stick. Upon seeing the man more fully, it appeared he was not alone at all. Upon his shoulders, riding comfortably, was a little girl wearing a light orange shirt with three large purple butterflies and dark brown pants with were own dark orange hair covered by a black bandana which itself was covered by a straw hat. Being situated about a head taller, being on the man's shoulders, she too had to watch out for any low-hanging branches or overly large leaves. Luckily, she had a pair of goggles on to protect herself with as she traveled further through the jungle with the man. Soon though, the two were given relief from the lush jungle foliage and came upon a cliff. The man paused for a moment as both he and the girl looked out at an amazing sight. Before them was now several islands, all with different types of environments and climates, floating in the sky all around them. It was truly a breathtaking scene; yet, these two didn't seem at all impressed by it.

"Mika," spoke the man to the girl, "which way now?"

The little girl, Mika, immediately sat up a little taller on the man's shoulder. She then proceeded to lift her goggles up, revealing them to be glowing a faint red. Without a needing to look around, she pointed in a direction: forward. "That way, Daddy." She told the man.

The man, Luffy, nodded. "Alright," he said. Not doubting the daughter's decision, he began to move forward despite the cliff. Without hesitating, the man jumped.

Both father and daughter began free falling down towards a floating island far below them. As fearless as Luffy was in his decision to jump, his daughter had to warm up to it. Mika had been scared at first, but she soon realized she was with her father and her fear disappeared. Frightened screaming turned to laughter she heard her father yelling become mumbled and stretched from the combination of falling and his rubber powers stretched his mouth. While it had been unintentional, Luffy could hear his daughter's laughter and be happy by it. He then got to the matter at hand; stopping them from crashing and dying. Quickly, he used his "Gum-Gum Balloon" technique; inhaling the air to expand his midsection into a balloon. Thanks to this, their descent was slowed to a leisurely fall. The two then floated on down safely into another jungle.

"Safely" being the optional word.

No sooner had they landed, their screams began echoing through the jungle. And getting closer! Soon, Luffy, with Mika now hanging off his neck and onto his back, was running as a large beast chased after them. The creature looked like an alligator yet had a flat body and its tail curled.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Land Gator. Unlike usual alligators, this one is more suited for land. Its flat body helps it blend into the ground to surprise its prey."_

The land gator gave chase after the two, snapping its large jaw at them. Luckily, Luffy was able to jump away from each snap. Finally, the man decided to make their escape. While one arm was occupied with keeping Mika safe, Luffy shot forth his other arm out. Once he grabbed hold a branch, he swung them away from another bone-crushing snap.

The land gator was shocked, but its determination to catch its prey would not waiver. It quickly moved to go after them; only to leave it wide open for another's attack. A purple tentacle suddenly slammed down upon the alligator instantly halting its chase. The same tentacle then wrapped around the reptile and dragged the beast to another; a large, pink octopus.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Mori Dako. A land-dwelling octopus with a strong attitude. With eight tentacles, it can pack a fierce punch with all of them."_

With alligator in tentacle, the expressively fierce octopus held its other seven tentacles and proceeded to pummel the reptile relentlessly. Soon, the poor land gator was unconscious, and the octopus was done with it. Now, it had its own prey to go after; namely, Luffy and Mika.

From the forest, Luffy shot out with Mika still hanging on tightly. Both were shouting out cheerfully, having fun, while not realizing what had occurred behind them. As Luffy landed with a skid, he and Mika, whose eyes were no longer glowing red, looked back to see what happened with the alligator. To their relief, it was no longer chasing them. That relief though didn't last as the Mori Dako had taken the reptile's place to give chase after them.

"Dad..." Mika said worriedly.

Grimacing slightly, Luffy nodded. "Right," he then turned around and ran.

Of course, the octopus followed after them in a sprint. The two groups now ran across a new part of this jungle environment; abandoned ruins. It was unfortunate that Luffy and Mika couldn't explore it, but they were in danger. And it soon increased quickly. On the opposite side of the ruins, another beast popped up. This one was a praying mantis of unusual size - large - with a fierce and angry expression. It growled out hostile towards the incoming opponents, banging its sickle-like appendages making a clanging, metallic sound. Then, it began flapping its wings and shot forward at them.

"Wha?! A praying mantis too?!" shouted Luffy in disbelief.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Don Kamakiriri. A large praying mantis fierce and determined. It may look unarmed, but watch out! Its raptorial front legs are sharp enough to cut through stone."_

The Don Kamakiriri flew fast at Luffy, but the young man was ready. Quickly, he jumped and dodged the bug as it attempted to slice him and his daughter. Unfortunately, the mantis' wings left behind a high amount of gust that tossed Luffy around and threw Mika off. The little girl quickly screamed out in distress. Of course hearing her, Luffy quickly stretched his arm out and grabbed her before they hit the ground.

Though the bug had missed his initial target, it wasn't going to give up yet. Don Kamakiriri was now targeting the Mori Dako. Sensing this bug's intent, the pink octopus attempted to defend itself by throwing up two punches from two tentacles. It was fruitless on the octopus' part as the Don Kamakiriri sliced both tentacles into several slices. The mollusk was shocked that he lost two of his appendages so fast and immediately turned coward. Unfortunately, it was too late for it. The mantis launched at its literal spineless foe. It was too quick to dodge as the Mori Dako was caught and smashed into a ruined building. Unconscious, the mollusk laid in the destroyed ruins; utterly defeated

The Don Kamakiriri landed on top of a ruined water fountain. It roared out an insect-like roar as it flexed its slicing appendages showcasing its victory. As well as completely letting its guard down. From behind, two long, dark brown-and-white striped arms grabbed the bug from behind and immobilized its sickle arms. Clearly surprised, the insect struggled to get free but found it could not. The long arms then brought the slaying-mantis closer to their owner; a very large bear with the same stripe pattern.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Terror Guma. If you go out in the woods and meet this bear, you're sure to be in for a surprise. Its long reach combined with its massive strength is capable of breaking even the toughest opponents."_

Without hesitation, the Terror Guma gave the bug a crushing bear hug. The Don Kamakiriri cried out in pain but was not willing to give. Unfortunately, as it managed to free one of its appendages, the bear began to bend backward. Before the mantis could use its freed appendage, the Terror Guma smashed the bug into stone. It let go of the bug, leaving it barely conscious and completely in the stone, and walked away. Once so, it let out a mighty roar declaring its victory to any in the area.

Yet, the only ones here were Luffy and Mika. Both sat far away from the fight, Mika sitting in her father's lap, but had watched on in curiosity. Confused though, Mika asked out, "Daddy, why do the animals keep hurting each other?"

Luffy shrugged. "I don't know," he said bluntly. He then explained, "But they definitely aren't doing so to survive like most animals I've seen."

With its sensitive hearing, the Terror Guma turned to see the two humans. Growling, the bear began running towards the two.

"Uh-oh!" Mika said worriedly.

Hurriedly, Luffy stood up, careful not to hurt Mika. "Get out of here, Mika," he told the girl seriously. After the girl ran off, heading for a nearby ruin, Luffy readied to fight. He shouted determinedly, "Bring it on, Furball!"

The Terror Guma let out a roar; accepting the challenge.

Luffy immediately took off running at the bear. As he did so, he stretched his arm backward. "Gum-Gum…" he shouted, "Pistol!" Then, he shot forth his fist at the beast.

Surprisingly, the Terror Guma dodged the man's fist. It then closed the gap between the two of them, and it was about to swipe the young man with its razor-sharp claws.

Except, Luffy wasn't going to go down that easily. Not when his daughter's life was on the line. Using his other arm, he put all his strength in punching the side of the bear's head. It sent the bear quickly flying off the side, crashing through a ruin, and landing into a tree. The bear then fell to the ground; unconscious. Despite his opponent unmoving, Luffy kept his eyes on the beast to make sure it truly wasn't coming back up. After a few moments, Luffy relaxed.

Seeing that the beast was clear, Mika ran out of her hiding spot. "You did it, Daddy!" Mika called out cheerfully.

Luffy flashed his little girl his trademark grin. "Tweren't nothing," he admitted laid-back.

Once Mika reached her father, her eyes began glowing the soft red glow. Instantly, she recognized that special feeling she had for the past week that told her that it was where her mother was located. She thus told her father, "Daddy! We gotta go save Mama!"

Not noticing the sudden glow in his daughter's eyes because of the goggles, Luffy was about to agree and continue on their way. Then, he heard the familiar growl of a hungry stomach but not his own. "Hold on, Mika," he said stopping the girl. He then told the little girl concernedly, "Let's eat first."

Blushing a little with embarrassment, Mika nodded and her eyes ceased glowing. She then asked, "But what are we gonna eat now?"

"Hmm?" Luffy hummed as he looked around the area. There wasn't much, but then, there was the defeated octopus nearby. He then told the girl cheerfully, "Let's have octopus!"

Instantly, Mika's face scrunched up in disgust. "Ew," she said, "no way."

Luffy gasped with surprise. "Come on now, Mika," he said sternly. He then quoted, badly, "Beggars can't be chewers."

Confused, Mika tilted her head. "What?" Mika replied puzzled.

"Oh, um, maybe it was something else," Luffy said out loud in realization.

Regardless, it didn't matter as Luffy soundly made his decision to eat octopus. Much to his daughter's protest.

* * *

Meanwhile, more Straw Hats were traversing this unknown landscape. Somewhere, where the weather is autumn-like, a group of humans (?) was walking across a stone bridge and surrounded by a lake with ruins poking out. There was one male human with a metal nose who had wilting, light-blue pompadour, large forearms, and wearing only a leather jacket with a gold chain, sunglasses, and three-star speedo. Walking near him was a slender and intelligent woman with black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing green glasses and a full body, green-and-white striped shirt, and carrying a backpack. Little ways behind them was their last member of the group; a living skeleton! His appearance was very groovy with his flower-patterned black vest over a frilled orange shirt and pants with mismatching leggings; one side striped and the other white. Upon his large, black afro was a pair of large sun tanning glasses. As this group of weirdos and one beautiful woman moved forward, there was a metallic sound emitting from behind them.

"Hmm?" spoke the skeleton, Brook, as he began to look around. "Do you hear that?"

The man, Franky, looked back at the skeleton unsure but also unconcerned. "Who knows," he stated, "we don't have time for it anyway, we gotta keep movin'."

Despite his unease, Brook agreed with the shipwright so he kept his creature moving. Yet, as they moved on, he could still hear the noise. Only now, it sounded much closer. Brook decided to look back to where they traveled and immediately saw something frightening. "Oh no!" He screamed out loudly.

Instantly, the other half of the group looked back again concerned. This time, they saw exactly what made the skeleton scream. From the other end of the bridge, from where they walked from, a black mass of something began crawling swiftly out of a doorway that led underground. Upon a closer look, this mass of black was really an army of ants wearing samurai armor and carrying spears. Each one of the thousands of them baring sharp teeth, and they looked hungry.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Guntai Ants. Vicious, hungry, and prepared to fight, these bugs will eat anything alive. A whole colony can eat a cow in half a second."_

Franky gasped with shock. "Now it's ants?!" He shouted in disbelief.

As the Guntai Ants charged forward, their first target was clear: Brook. The poor skeleton man screamed out in fear as the ants neared him. He thought his time was up - again - until something interesting happened. The bugs completely ignored Brook and rushed right past him. Seeing this, Brook looked around his area confused before following their path and looking back.

Franky saw this as well and grunted. "So," he said irritated, "we're your targets, huh?!" Then, he transformed his left arm into a cannon ready to attack the bugs.

Unfortunately, Robin pointed out something problematic. "Aren't you out of fuel, Franky," she stated calmly.

Franky gasped with realization. "Ah! You're right!" he shouted.

The ants continued their charge towards Franky and Robin. As everyone prepared for battle, a new opponent soon made its presence known. A long, eel-like shark with green skin and patches of fur along its body with many gills and fins jumped out of the water. At the sight of the new beast, everyone stopped and watched on as it soared through the sky. As it soared over the bridge, eyeing everything on it, it dived into the water on the other side. Once its long body was completely submerged, its many fins started working and propelling the beast through the water. In doing so, it was turning around for the attack now.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Baku Zame. This shark is long. So long that it needs extra fins and gills to survive. That though doesn't make it any less dangerous with it having serious jaw power."_

"It's coming back," Robin observed warningly.

Readily, the cyborg removed the cover from his fist, revealing it to be metal. He was ready to fight. "Bring it on," he stated determinedly.

As for the Guntai Ants, they were not deterred either. Now though, they had a new target. The ants bravely began their charge again. Seeing this, Franky and Robin weren't sure who to prepare for; regardless, they both readied to fight for their lives. Then, as the ants and shark neared the group, they all jumped at the same time. While the Baku Zame was aiming for the humans though, the Guntai Ants were aiming for the shark. In a moment, about a few seconds, the ants latched onto the fish and proceeded to eat everything but the bones. The humans were shocked at the sight as the ants continued off the skeleton and back onto the bridge just on the other side of the group. Likewise, the skeleton landed in the lake and floated there.

As Brook rushed to the group, he stopped for a moment to comment on the sight. "Ah, now it's like me." He then hurried along, shouting to his friends, "Are you both alright?"

Keeping his eye on the ants, Franky told the skeleton, "I think I figured out why those guys ignored you, Bones."

Brook ran up behind the group. In hearing his crewmate, he asked out, "Huh?"

"Because to them," Franky continued, "you have no substance."

"Ah," Brook said understanding the man completely. Then, after a few moments to think it over, the skeleton man became angrily. "That's so rude!" he shouted.

The Guntai Ants soon turned around. Despite having eaten a whole and long fish, they still looked hungry. Thus, they charged again to attack and eat the humans. Seeing them coming, Franky and Robin prepared for a fight; but then, Brook charged ahead of them in fury. He unsheathed his sword from his cane and proceeded to make quick, faster-than-the-eye-could-see slashes upon the ants. As he was all bone, the ants completely ignored him. All completely clueless to what the skeleton was doing to them. Brook did this until he reached the end of the army. Then, he began to walk calmly, still moving forward. Of course, in seeing this, Franky and Robin knew what their crewmate had done and began walking forward unconcerned by the ants anymore.

As Brook placed his sword in his cane sheath, he spoke, "Three-Verse Humming…"

The ants roared as they were about to attack the humans. Still, Franky and Robin were unmotivated to do anything about it. This included when the ants jumped into the air to attack and devour them. Still, they did not flinch; after all, these ants had already been defeated.

"Arrow Notch Slash!" Brook finished his attack, stopping and then sheathing his sword completely.

Instantly, the Guntai Ants received a slash. The entire army had been hit by Brook's sword and not a single ant was spared the skeleton's wrath. They all fell like rain around the two pirates into the lake; all completely unconscious. After a while, the rain of ants stopped and Franky and Robin reach where Brook had stopped.

Then, Brook made a comment. "I know that I'm nothing but bone, but that's only because I've been dieting."

Everyone stared at the living skeleton befuddled. Neither human knew how to respond to such an outrageous claim. So, they choose to ignore it entirely.

"Geesh, we've been on this island for a while now," Franky commented, looking around at their surroundings observantly. "And still, nothing about it makes sense."

Robin spoke up observationally, "From what we have observed, it seems that the animals and plants here have evolved to reach new heights never seen before. Even surpassing humans in some regards."

Nodding in agreement with the woman's logic, Franky couldn't help but make an observational comment, "Heh, truly an island where 'survival of the fittest' rules over everything."

Seeing that he had been ignored, Brook decided to speak more logically. "We best keep moving," he suggested, "Mika, Akio and the others are still out there."

Franky and Robin agreed with the skeleton. Thus, they all continued on their walk forward, not knowing what lied ahead for them. Yet, the observation made by Robin still rung clear. What a mysterious island they were on; yet, there was more to it than what they had seen. Still, where are the rest of the Straw Hat pirates? Where were they exactly? And what is keeping them going forward? Well, all this and more will be answered. Hold on, everyone, this ain't your normal world. It's a…

 **STRONG(ER)**

 **WORLD**

 **A ONE PIECE: Straw Hat Family Film**

 **[Rewrite]**

 **Starring:**

 **In a barren, winter landscape...**

Swordsman, Roronoa Zoro: Bounty 120 Million

Doctor, Tony Tony Chopper: Bounty 50

 **Where autumn leaves fall...**

Archaeologist, Nico Robin: Bounty 80 Million

Shipwright, Franky: Bounty 44 Million

Musician, Brook: Bounty 33 Million

 **As spring cherry blossom bloom...**

Cook, Sanji: Bounty 77 Million

Sharpshooter, Usopp: Bounty 30 Million

 **Searching through the hot, summer jungles...**

Captain, Monkey D. Luffy: Bounty 300 Million

Cabin girl, Monkey D. Namika (Mika): Bounty 0

 **Lost, but not alone...**

Cabin boy, Akio: Bounty 0

 **And trapped in a palace.**

Navigator, Monkey (D.) Nami: Bounty 16 Million


	3. Scene 3

**Read, Review, Enjoy!**

* * *

Scene 3

 **Trapped in the Palace**

Elsewhere, far from the Straw Hats except one, mischief was afoot. Or, more specifically, a cat was "a boot". In a dreary winter land, as snow fell from dull gray clouds, a slender feline leaped from a forest and out into a wide open expanse. Now out of the shadow of the forest, the dim light shined upon the goldish fur of the feline and even made its black spots shimmer slightly. It soon landed upon the ground, doing so like it was bipedal. The landing was softened by the boot-like appearance on the cat's hind leg paws. White tuft of fur grew off the feline's chest and formed a sort of buxom appearance; perhaps, symbolizing that it was a female cat. Also unusual, this cat wore a belt around its shapely waist and had a rapier attached to its hip. Finally, it even had a red bandana around its mouth of this unusual creature.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Booted Mynx. Hope you checked your pockets, this feline fatale will rob you blind and you'll never know it. Their cunning, as well as their lust for anything shiny, is rarely matched even by humans."_

Now, as the Booted Mynx glared out onto the area with its vertically slitted eyes, it could see its target was not far. Swiftly, it dashed forward. It soon crossed a line of trees, producing green pollen, that made the cat almost stop from the smell. Luckily, its bandana was a perfect cover until it eventually crossed onto the other side. Its target was still further ahead, so the cat continued on dashing forward. As it got closer though, more trouble seemed to appear. There were a number of humans patrolling the area, and many of them had guns with them. Dangerously for any other beast, but this was a Booted Mynx. Skillfully, the beast dodged, avoided, and even tricked its way through the patrols until it finally came on to its true goal.

A large, Japanese-styled fortress.

Quickly, the cat scaled up the stone wall of the building without anyone seeing it. Once over, it swiftly made its way inside the building where it immediately took to the rafters. From wooden beam to wooden beam, the cat jumped lightly and landed softly as it made its way through the fortress. Along the way, it spotted many humans patrolling or wondering the compound. It was careful not to make itself noticed by them. As it moved through the fortress, it was also checking through rooms as well. It seemed to be trying to find something as it went through places like a kitchen, a storeroom, a mess hall, and even a few bedrooms along the way. Not a single one seemed to have what it was looking for.

Finally, it came across two large doors that quickly attracted its interest. Though, instead of using the doors, the feline used the air duct just above it to head inside. Careful not to make any noise, it soon entered the room. To its surprise, the room was hot and humid and filled with lush, tropical plants. Curious, it decided to explore a little in this room. It jumped onto the nearest tree and began looking around. The room was actually pretty spacious though not very big, and it had a pool of water right in the middle of it. Thus, being disappointed, the cat was about to leave when it heard someone's footsteps upon the tile ground. It quickly hid in the shadow of the tree as it looked for the thing that was making that noise. Soon, it found the source; a human female.

Walking up to the edge of the pool, clad in a purple-and-white striped bikini and beaded necklace, was a young, slender orange-haired woman with a unique tattoo on her left shoulder taking up position to dive in. After a moment's pause, she dived into the clear, blue water. Though the cold temperature of the water was a shock to her warm body, it quickly became accustomed to the temperature and she began swimming. At a gentle speed, the young woman used the front crawl stroke to swim across the pool. While doing so, she held her breath and kept her head down for as long as she could. Then, near the wall, she maneuvered a flip turn and pushed out to now swim towards the other side. After taking another breath, the woman proceeded to keep her head in the water; with a purpose in mind. As she scanned the bottom and walls of the pool, she soon spotted something intriguing. In this pool, there were two large water vents that were feeding water into the pool. Nearing the end of her lap, the woman decided to that observation in mind. As soon as she touched the wall, she decided she had enough swimming and walked out of the pool. On a nearby chair and table, a towel was waiting for her which she took in hand. She then began drying herself, formulating a plan as she did.

Then, blurting trumpets sounded off through the speakers surprising the woman. As well as the Booted Mynx, who nearly blew its cover by nearly screeching out. They both looked over at the only entrance to the pool to see a white drape placed in front of it. Also, there were three tall figures beginning to perform together a routine dance. Immediately, the woman already knew who they were and was already finding their dance number annoying. Regardless though, the three figures danced. Soon, the white sheet dropped and thus revealing that the performers were none other than - and in order from left to right - Scarlet, Shiki, and Dr. Indigo. So, the trio group kept dancing as the music played on with Shiki leading them. The movements choreographed simply but flashily with Scarlet and Indigo backing up their leader. Through their performance, the group walked down the stairs with a flair before reaching the bottom and continuing the act. Shiki's footwork - er, sword work technically - was impeccable, and their movements together in perfect synchronization. As the music reached its crescendo, the group soon ended their routine by ending the sequence with a hand gesture towards the woman herself; as if to signal her to join in.

Fortunately, though, the woman was not impressed. Making an audible "hmph" towards the group, she instead turned her nose to them and continued on drying herself.

Despite the cold shoulder, Shiki didn't seem to any offense to her attitude. He still kept grinning confidently. As he walked up to her, he then asked, "Well, Nami baby, have you come to a decision yet?"

Nami looked back at the man, frowning mad. "Drop dead," she said coldly.

Shiki laughed, "Ji-ha-ha-ha-ha!" He then added impressed, "I like your spirit, Girl. I like strong-willed girls."

Unimpressed, Nami simply glared at the tall man. He may like her determination, but she was far more stubborn to give in to this man. After all, she was a mother.

Watching this battle of wills, Doctor Indigo suddenly had a thought and proceeded forward. With his first step, his shoe made a poot sound. It was soon followed by the other and it too made the same sound. This continued all throughout his walk as he came up to Shiki.

During so, Shiki had been annoyed by each step. Finally, he shouted, "Dr. Indigo!" His shout stopped that clown-like doctor, and further he spoke. "Can't you do something about that infernal noise?!"

Immediately, Doctor Indigo stopped moving. Now instead, grinning blissfully, the doctor began making hand and arm gestures as if telling a story. Unfortunately, it seemed that the message was unclear for Shiki.

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

And surprisingly… "I just remembered, I have something to show you."

"You can talk?!" shouted Shiki in disbelief.

Reacting to the display, Scarlet the gorilla began laughing and clapping. He had enjoyed the bit of unintentional humor.

Shiki then looked at the maroon colored gorilla and gasped. "M-Mom?!" He spoke in shock.

"That's a freakin' gorilla!" Indigo quickly rebuked along with adding a light slap to the back of man's head.

Then, as if they were a comedy troupe, the three of them posed with Shiki in the middle and his companions to his side. All of them trying to display their lightheartedness.

Except, Nami still didn't care for their goofy act. "Leave me alone," she told the group coldly and walked off.

And again, Shiki had no qualms with her attitude. "You're as cold as ice, Nami baby." He said coolly before erupting into laughter.

"Ji-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Nami just kept ignoring him. She did pay attention to the clown - Doctor Indigo - leaving, but that was mostly out of curiosity than interest. Instead, she continued walking over to the nearest window. Once there, she stared out the window at the gray hued world outside this fortress. Here, she could think clearly; and yet, every thought she had just focused on her daughter, her husband, and her crew. She wondered worriedly for the former of the three as well for their young cabin boy Akio. But, she was unfortunately detained here, which just made her frustrated.

 _'What were we thinking…'_

And to figure that out, we need to look back…

 **One week earlier...**

* * *

 **Author's Note: Fun Facts time! The _Booted Mynx_ had many inspirations for it.**

 **1\. Nami's animal is a cat, as stated by Oda**

 **2\. "Booted" comes from a fun little AU some writers use where the humans are given certain animal traits. These stories are often called "PETs". For Nami, her animal is something called a "Booted Puss", whatever the fuck that is.**

 **3\. Finally, "Mynx" It's a clever combination of two words; "minx" - that which a guy calls at a clever woman, and "lynx" - a small wild cat. So, Minx + Lynx = Mynx!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter's fun facts. Until next time!**


	4. Scene 4

**Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 4**

 **Calm Before the Storm**

Several days ago, the whole Straw Hat crew was sailing on the Thousand Sunny through the Grand Line. It was a beautiful day, this day, with calm waters and a light gale filling the sails propelling the crew further forward. The bright sun warmed the day making it truly perfect weather to be out. Thus, that is what the Straw Hats were doing currently. They were all on deck in new, casual clothing enjoying this beautiful day.

Luffy, sporting blue-and-white army camo style swim trunks and a yellow scarf, was playing around an inflatable pool with the kids and others. In his hand was a squirt gun which he used to squirt his daughter, who was wearing a pink swimsuit with a teddy bear on it. After getting wet, and laughing, she retaliated by squirting her father back. The young, brown-haired boy Akio soon joined in, wearing a white shirt and blue with a white stripe swim trunks but aimed at the others around Luffy. There was the long-nosed sniper Usopp, looking like a coach with a dark blue-and-white striped warm-up jacket and large whistle with an oddly large cylinder hat, who was hit by Akio's water gun shot. There was also talking reindeer Chopper, in an adorable pink bear robe, laughing as some of the water splashed on to him. Finally, there was Franky joining in as well, who was wearing a banana gun hat over his light blue pompadour hair, a green shirt with a smiling gear on it, and a gold chain around his neck and shoulder. He had his own, almost military-grade, super soaker that he immediately fired back at the kids. It shot out a large stream of water, but with all the power of a water hose. Both Mika and Akio laughed as they played in the steady stream of pouring water, and the adults laughed along with them.

Around this group of wet warriors, the other Straw Hats were taking it easy. The green-haired swordsman Zoro, wearing a dark purple buttoned shirt with two shades of purple stripes and black with yellow stripe pants, was lifting an arm weight while sitting on the bench on the main mast. As he had his eyes closed to focus, he didn't notice a certain little girl approach him. Mika, of course, squirted her unassuming uncle and then immediately ran off giggling. Having caught this, the others laughed in good spirit and success of Mika. Though annoyed, Zoro simply grunted through the humiliation and kept doing his curl; secretly thankful for the cool off. Sitting at the lawn table in a simple orange sundress with purple spots around the chest area, Robin contently read a book but keeping an eye on her rambunctious little niece. Especially when the little girl got it into her head to sneak up at her to squirt her with water. Foreseeing this, Robin would use her Hana-Hana Devil Fruit powers to use her hidden water gun to attack first. Of course, it was all in good fun, and Mika would just run off laughing and try again another time. Thus, Brook would be the next target of her fun. The living skeleton - wearing a headband in his head, hair "Shika Bane" yellow shirt, and arm bands - of course, saw the little girl coming at him and firing her water gun towards. Lightheartedly, Brook played along using his tall stature to easily dodge and avoid Mika's shots. Again, Mika completely enjoyed herself.

The only ones missing from the fun and excitement was Sanji and Nami, but the former of whom soon appeared from out the kitchen. Wearing a wide neck, white shirt, loose purple-and-white neck tie, and light green shorts, the blonde haired man came out of the cabin with a tray full of drinks; most of them water with three drinks specially made. As he walked down the stairs from the upper deck, he called out.

"Drink up, everyone!"

Those playing stopped immediately. "Yahoo!" cheered Luffy. He and the others dropped their water guns and rushed over to the chef.

Sanji set the tray down and quickly scooped up the special drinks. Just in time as Luffy and the other males came and grabbed a glass each. He then moved around the men and boy to reach Mika, who was waiting with patient excitement and a grin. Instantly, Sanji felt refreshed and satisfied upon seeing the young girl and thus happily presented the young girl with her drink: a muddled mikan-rosemary spritzer. "Your mikan soda, my cute little niece." He said mannerly.

"T'anks, Uncle Sanji!" Mika replied happily before accepting the drink.

Like a dry towel soaked in water, Sanji's heart swelled with delight. Nothing could beat the gratitude his cute niece would give him; except maybe, gratitude from Robin or Nami. Thus, Sanji moved on to Robin and gave her the drink she ordered; an alcoholic, red drink called "Tropical Splash". After being thanked by the older woman, which made Sanji all the more enamored with, he moved on to the last lovely lady aboard this vessel. He walked up to another different set of stairs to the upper deck - where the steering wheel was located - and soon spotted Nami the side of the railing. As he approached the white tank top and blue shorts, he saw a News Coo - a seagull that delivers news to those who pay - fly off; most likely, after the orange-haired woman talked its price down. Already, she was reading the newspaper, which Sanji found a bit curious.

"Nami?" Sanji asked out, holding out her drink; a Tangerine Sour (also alcoholic).

Hearing him, Nami looked away from the paper and at the man. Her gaze showing some shock and concern. In seeing the man's confusion, Nami quickly decided that she needed to share what she had just learned. "Everyone!" She shouted, walking over to the top of that stairs. "There's something going on in the East Blue!"

Immediately, those hailing from the East Blue stopped whatever they were doing. Most of them, with the exception of Zoro who would listen from his spot, gathered around Robin's lawn table as Nami explained what she had read. In the East Blue, over the past few days, several villages had been attacked by unknown assailants. Their entirety completely destroyed with only a few, mysterious clues left behind. Of course, this group's biggest concern about this was whether or not their own villages had been attacked. Fortunately, they had not, but this only helped place concern and worry for their hometowns. Of course, the others in the crew - those who were born outside the East Blue - felt the same amount of concern for this place they've never been to as it was a concern for their crewmates. Truly, only the children who did not seem to understand the situation.

"East Blue?" Both Mika and Akio repeated with unfamiliarity.

All the adults looked at the kids surprised. "I get Akio not knowing," Usopp said before turning to Luffy and Nami to ask, "but why does Mika not know?"

Surprisingly, the couple just gave a shrug in uncertainty. "The name just never came up in the stories," they both said together in unison. Seeing that they both shared the same answer, both couldn't help but blush a little with how perfectly synced they were as a couple.

Suddenly, Mika asked out loudly, "What's the East Blue?"

Her blush now gone, Nami answered, "That's the sea that Mommy, Daddy, and your uncles Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji were born in."

"Oooh," Mika said with intrigue.

Sanji then approached the little girl. "Actually, Mika-chan," he said politely, "though I consider that sea my home, I was born in another sea."

"Whoa! Really?" Mika said amazed.

"Where?" asked Akio curious.

Sanji answered, "The North Blue."

"There's a West Blue?!" Both Mika and Akio shouted in surprise and shock respectively.

Akio then asked, "So then, where is the East Blue?"

This time, Robin answered. "If you look off to the side," she then gestured with her hand off the side of the Sunny, "if you sail in that direction, through the Calm Belt and a nest of sea monsters, you would be in the East Blue."

Both kids gasped. "Cool!" Mika said amazed.

Akio, however, was a bit scared. "S-Sea monsters?!"

"Ten times bigger than the Thousand Sunny," Robin added with an amused smile for clarity

Nearly choking, Akio was in complete shock over the idea of monsters so big. Mika on the hand was only more amazed by this fact. She then declared in excitement, "I wanna go to the East Blue!"

"Wh-What?!" Akio said in shock.

All the adults chuckled at the boy. Luffy too; though, to him his daughter's suggestion wasn't a bad idea.

Then, before Luffy could say anything of this regard, a large shadow suddenly passed overhead. Everyone immediately looked up, and they all gasped in shock. An impossible thing was flying above them; an island. Usopp, Chopper, Brook, and Akio screamed out in fear instantly at the sight. Luffy and Mika watched on in awe. Everyone else was completely speechless.

"What is that?!" shouted Usopp in fear.

"Is...Is that an island?" Franky said confused.

"How is an island flying in the first place?" Nami said in disbelief.

"Whoa!" shouted Luffy and Mika amazed.

As the flying island flew off further ahead of the Sunny, the crew quickly began to move to follow along. Franky and Luffy were first to reach the upper deck where the wheel was with the cyborg taking the helm. Soon after, Mika, Akio, Nami and the other hurried along to get a better view as well. While the all stared at the land mass in amazement, Robin was the first to see an important detail.

"It has sails," Robin observed critically, "and a Jolly Roger."

Franky looked at the archaeologist in shock. "Really?!" He said.

"What?!" shouted Nami in disbelief. "That thing can't be a ship!"

Deciding to get a closer look, Usopp pulled down his scopes. He zoomed in on the flying land mass and quickly scanned it. Eventually, he found the flag Robin had seen. "She's right, they're pirates!"

"So, that's a flying island pirate ship?" stated Luffy with astonishment. He then shouted out with glee, "That's so cool!"

"Oh great!" Nami shouted in frustration. She then saw her daughter and the cabin boy, both hanging on the rails trying to see the ship better. Quickly, she called out to them, "Kids! Get in the cabin!"

"Aw, what." Both kids said displeased by the notion.

The kids' attitude only helped exasperate Nami further. The young mother was about to give the kids an earful but was stopped when a surprise breeze brushed past her. _'The wind…'_ Nami recognized the most minute details with it and realized she and the crew were in serious trouble.

Thus, she had to become more stern with the kids. "Monkey D. Namika," she called out demandingly. The use of her daughter's full name, of course, got Mika's attention, which is what Nami wanted. She thus pointed to the cabins and commanded her, "Get in the cabin, now."

Now scared, Mika quickly obeyed. "Y-Yes, Mom," she stuttered, surprisingly. Then, she left with Akio, who willingly followed after seeing how serious the orange-haired woman being.

Of course, a few of the crew had witnessed this. Luffy though was the first to ask in concern, "What's up, Nami?"

"There's a cyclone coming!" Nami said quickly.

Luffy's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" He said before turning to the crew, "Everyone! There's a storm a comin'!

Chopper gasped. "Oh no!" He shouted.

"Everyone, ready the ship!" Nami commanded out to the crew. Immediately, the many of the crew then took off as they prepared for the coming storm.

Yet, Luffy did not join them. He instead had another concern. He jumped right onto the Sunny's head and began waving his arms up towards the flying island-ship. "Hey!" He shouted, "There's a storm coming!"

Before leaving, Brook stopped and looked over at his captain confused. "What is Mr. Luffy doing?" He asked out.

"Don't worry about it," Nami told the skeleton confidently. "He's just being a good guy…"

"Hey~!" Luffy continued shouting, still waving up towards the island-ship.

* * *

It would seem pointless to try and communicate with the vessel with it being so high up in the air, but luck was fortunately on its side. For inside a large hangar, on one of the many video screens streaming from many video Transponder Snails, a single worker had caught sight of the young man's display. "Hmm," the man said as he looked at the screen. He soon had the snail zoom in on the ship and the young man quickly noticing the activity going on there.

"Captain Shiki," the man called out to him, "there seems to be someone trying to get your attention."

Behind the console of screens, there was Doctor Indigo and Scarlet sitting under a kotatsu enjoying some snacks and tea. Of course, they were not the ones that needed to be addressed. Shiki, on the other hand, was sitting atop a stand in his throne-like chair overseeing his crew like a king. His disposition upon hearing the man inform him hardly wavered from mild contentedness before asking out of curiosity, "Are they pirates?"

Quickly, the man checked. "Yes, they are, sir." The man confirmed.

Immediately, Shiki became intrigued. "Get me one of my dials," he ordered.

As ordered, a single crew member came out with an orange-spotted, white conch shell. The man met with Shiki at the bottom of the stand and handed the shell to Shiki. The pirate captain held the shell in his hand for a moment; and then, it began to float. Weightlessly, the shell began hovering and floating out the hangar through the wide open doors. Then, watching via the screens even from on high, the man watched as the shell purposely floated down to the group. He watched critically as the crew looked at the shell, toss to an orange haired woman, and press the apex of the shell. This, he was surprised to see.

"Oh, so they know how to use one," Shiki said impressed, grinning even.

The moment Shiki noticed they had finished speaking into the shell, he stretched his hand out. As if commanded, the shell began floating back up to his ship. The conch shell floated back inside the hangar and dropped right into Shiki's hand. Immediately, the pirate captain pressed the apex, and a message played out.

"There's a storm coming!" spoke a woman's voice, "Turn your ship to 9 o'clock"

At first surprised than concerned, Shiki spoke out to his crew, "Navigation team…"

Immediately, the leader of the team spoke, "There's no sign of a storm, captain. All our tools show that everything is normal…"

"Sir," spoke one of the navigation team members, "the ship is moving in the 9 o'clock direction."

"Hmm?" Shiki said, taking a look at the screen to see for himself.

"Sir!" Another navigation team member suddenly shouted out urgently. "The barometer is picking up a storm system!"

"What?!" shouted the team leader in shock.

Immediately, Shiki looked up from the screen to look out the hangar to the clear blue sky. Except, it was no longer clear anymore. The once blue sky was now becoming increasingly clouded with dark storm clouds. The man thus gasped. "An afro?!" He shouted in shock.

"That's a storm, you dunderhead!" Indigo rebuked, attempting to knock sense in the man by literally knocking some sense into him by slapping the back of his head.

"Captain Shiki!" shouted the lead navigator quickly. "There is a storm approaching, change our course to 9 o'clock immediately."

Without a moment's wait, Shiki through his arms out. Corresponding to this gesture, the large island-ship began moving left. Already though, the storm was picking up the wind fiercely. Other crew members positioned outside began to hurriedly rush inside. Lest they be blown away by hurricane winds. Of course, these winds would also be a problem for those inside as well. Knowing this, Shiki clapped his hands together. Immediately, the doors began to close, even while some of his crew were still trying to get in. The man seemed not to care as the doors came to a full close.

"Captain Shiki!" The men outside began to plead as they banged upon the door.

"Let us in!"

"Please!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. A gale blew against the floating island, and it swept away those men into dark clouds. Never to be seen again.

Both the island-ship and the Thousand Sunny, via its paddles, pushed onward veering left as a cyclone touchdown to the ocean. The scale of which looked to be able to swallow a whole, much larger island in a turbulent column of wind, water, and utter chaos. By the unique skill that only Nami had, both pirate crews would sail on towards another day.

BANG! At least, most of them would. Back in Shiki's floating stronghold, the head navigator looked dumbly down to see a bullet sized hole in his side. As immense pain washed over his senses and his energy suddenly depleted, the man fell to the floor. As he bled, he remained unmoving and silent.

Shiki, holding the still smoking gun, frowned angrily down at the man. He then glared over at the remaining team of navigators. "Don't ever give me a wrong forecast again," he told them threateningly.

All the team nodded their heads fervently and afraid. "Yes, sir!" They all shouted out obediently.

As the team got back to work, Shiki looked back at the screen. The pirate ship was still in their sights though pulling a bit more forward. He stared at the ship critically but was baffled.

"Who is this woman who could outmatch my own skilled navigators?"

Then, Shiki began to smirk deviously. As he walked forward, he told his crew in a wickedly cheerful mode. "Anchor near them," he said pointing to the Thousand Sunny, "I'll be stepping out for a bit…"

And then, Shiki began to float.


	5. Scene 5

**Author's note: I'm pretty quick about these... Don't worry, I'll be slowing down after this one; probably. And, as always,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 5**

 **My Gift**

When the Straw Hats had finally made it out of the storm, they instantly felt a sense of relief that they had survived. Then, they noticed that the island-ship they had seen earlier was still nearby and completely stopped. While they questioned how and why they soon also noticed something flying towards them from the ship. As it got closer, the whole crew gasped with shock. Not a floating shell, or even more likely a cannonball, but a man was floating down towards them. A man with sword legs and a part of ship's helm lodged in his skull. No one had seen anything like it.

This went especially for the kids. As Nami had ordered, they had taken shelter earlier from the storm. They were currently hiding out in Luffy and Nami's shared room, formerly the girls' bedroom. When the Thousand Sunny had finally stopped moving, both kids went to look out the two windows - one each - to see if it were okay to leave. But, before any of the adults could signal them to, they had been distracted by the arrival of the strange man floating down from the sky and landing on the deck. Mika and Akio were both shocked in seeing this.

"Who is that?" Mika asked out.

"I don't know," Akio replied.

"How can he fly?!"

"Maybe a Devil Fruit?"

"He's got swords for legs!"

"I know!"

"What's in his head?"

"It looks kinda like a steering wheel. It looks similar to ours."

"What are they saying?"

"Quick! To the door."

Swiftly, the two kids got off their chairs and hurried over to the door. Mika was the first to reach the door and would have opened it fully if not for the timely intervention of Akio. With one hand placed on the door, the boy used the other to signal for his friend to be silent. Of course, Mika scrunched her brow confused to why. No time to explain, Akio carefully turned the door handle and gently pushed the door forward a little. Instantly, with only a small crack for their eyes to see through, the kids could hear the conversation outside.

"...anyway, I would like to thank the woman who provided me with that timely information." As they did not recognize the voice, both kids assumed it was the man speaking currently.

The kids watched as Nami stepped forward. "That was me," she told him.

"You, eh. You have my gratitude, lovely Baby." The man said overly-friendly, grinning.

Mika quickly furrowed her brow. "Who's that jerk," she whispered angrily.

Likewise, Akio also did not like how the man was coming onto the woman either. He said nothing though as he watched his captain step forward next.

"Yeah, my wife is amazing," Luffy said boastful and happy.

The kids watch as the man stopped smiling and frowned. "Ah, I see," he said in a neutral tone, "your little wife is truly has a remarkable gift, young man."

Luffy's response was on a chuckle, laced with pride for his spouse.

Both kids smirked victoriously. "Way to go, Captain," Akio whispered out proudly.

"Um, Mr. Shiki," Chopper now spoke, sounding curious. "How is it that you and your ship can float."

"Yeah!" Luffy said quickly in agreement, excited. "How are you doing that?"

Now, the man - "Mr. Shiki" - chuckled. "Oh that," he replied smugly, "that's all thanks to my Devil Fruit, the Float-Float Fruit."

"I knew it," whispered Akio contentedly. "It is a Devil Fruit power…"

Shiki continued to explain, "With its power, I can negate the gravity of any object I touch and have complete control over them."

"Whoa…" Mika said quietly.

"Watch," Shiki told the crew before turning around. He approached one of Zoro's curling weights that he had left on the ground. Giving the object a simple, light slap, and then step back.

The kids watched as Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper looked closely at the weight. Then, the caught Shiki as he began to move his hand. An audible gasp from the Immature Trio brought the kids' attentions back to them, and they gasped as well. The weight began to float effortlessly. Both the adults and kids awed at the sight and watched as Shiki controlled the weight, making it do a few tricks including increasing the height at which it floated. Then, he seemed to cancel its weightlessness and it dropped fast downward. It was easily caught by Zoro, who went right back to his arm curls. Showing that indeed the natural weight of the object. All were amazed by this display.

"So cool!" shouted Luffy and his group. As well as the kids too, but their shouts had been covered over by the much louder adults' shout.

Of course, noticing that they had almost blown their cover, the kids quickly quiet down. They were not noticed for the most part; only Robin overheard them. She was quick to spot them but overall keeping from being noticeable. She did not trust this new person, and she did not want the kids to become a liability.

"Hey, Old Guy!" Luffy shouted out eagerly. "Make me float too!"

"Me too! Me too" shouted Chopper, also excited.

Mika spoke as well, whispering to Akio pleadingly, "I wanna go float too…"

"No," Akio whispered strictly.

That made Mika pout, puffing her cheeks out red. She then pointed out shrewdly, "Why are we hiding anyway?"

"Because" Akio whispered slightly frustrated, "we don't know what this guy's deal is."

Before Mika could retort, Shiki's distinctive laugh cut her off. "Ji-ha-ha-ha!" He then explained, "Sorry, but I can only float non-living objects. The only living thing I can float is myself."

"What!" Luffy said disappointedly. "That's lame"

"Boo! Boo!" Usopp and Chopper were also dismayed by the fact and began booing at the man.

Mika, of course, was also disappointed. "Aw man," she whispered.

Akio just rolled his eyes at the girl.

"Anyway," Shiki said with some annoyance towards the immature pirates. Yet, his mood shifted to gratitude as he thus through up an offer.

"I'd like to thank you all properly. Come to my base-of-operations, and I'll reward you handsomely."

Of course, Nami immediately got that look in her eyes - the beli symbol - that showed her foible. "I hope that reward is a ton of money," she inquired foolishly hopeful.

Now, it was Mika's turn to roll her eyes. This time at her own mother. "Oh, Mom…"

Then, Luffy spoke up. "Sorry but," the man said smiling, "we need to do something else."

"Huh?" said many of the Straw Hats surprised.

"Luffy, what about the reward?" Nami asked almost pleadingly.

Keeping his smile, Luffy explained, "There's trouble in the East Blue, we gotta get back to make sure our homes will be safe."

Again, the crew was surprised by their captain. They all had momentarily forgotten about the problem that the East Blue was having thanks to the past several minutes. In realizing this, none of the crew was at all unhappy with the decision. Even Nami, whose greed had immediately subsided upon realization, agreed and smiled proudly at her spouse for reminding her of this.

"So thanks," Luffy said to Shiki directly in gratitude, "but no thanks."

Of course, overhearing this, the kids became a little excited. "Awesome!" Mika proclaimed quietly. "Now I get to see where Mama's and Daddy's and everyone else's homes."

"Yeah," Akio said optimistic, "I've never been outside the Grand Line before."

Mika grinned towards her friend. "Neither have I-" The young girl's eyes then flashed a dull red glow, and stopped smiling. She felt this unnatural and evil emotion that seem to scream out in anger before shifting into malice. Instantly, Mika let a squeak in fright and jumped back from the door. She began breathing heavily and was in a cold sweat.

Akio was surprised when the girl did that. "Mika?" He asked out confused.

"I'm really starting to like the cut of your jib!" Shiki's boisterous shout brought the boy's attention back to outside. He looked back outside to see the man as he talked further.

"So, your homes are in trouble? I see, then allow me to take you there with my ability."

"Wow! Are you sure?" asked Luffy, a surprised expression on his face enhanced by his rubber powers.

"Yeah," Shiki said grinning, "why not?"

"Awesome!" shouted Luffy happily. "Thanks, Lion guy, you're pretty cool."

"No problem, young lad."

"Alright, everyone!" shouted Luffy to his crew. "Let's prepare for battle!"

"Yeah!" roared out most of the males in the crew.

Seeing the adults begin to move, with Luffy heading towards their room, Akio moved back from the door. "Looks like we're going…" He said to Mika.

Mika nodded but surprisingly said nothing. She was still spooked from earlier, and still very much confused. 'What was that…' She thought afraid.

Akio worried greatly seeing the girl looking so scared, and not understanding why. He was going to ask straight out, but the door opening stopped him. He instead looked back to see his captain enter the room first.

"Oh, hey guys." Luffy greeted to the kids casually. He then asked confusedly, "Why are you in here?"

Seeing that an adult - and her parent - was here, Akio attempted to voice his concern. "Um, Captain Luffy…"

Suddenly, the whole ship shook. Everyone in the room quickly secured themselves, unsure what was going on. It was only by looking out the window did they understand what was going on. They could see the horizon quickly leave their view as the Thousand Sunny rose higher into the sky. In seeing this, the young girl soon forgot her worries and started to become excitable again.

"Cool!" Mika shouted out. "We're flying!"

None the wiser about his daughter's mood shift, Luffy chuckled. "Yeah! We just met the captain of that flying ship. He's gonna take us to the East Blue by flying us there." He told the kids.

Mika gasped happily. "That means I get to see yours' homes, right?" She asked excitedly.

Luffy nodded, "Yeah!" He then told the kids, "So you guys better change out of your swim clothes."

"Okay!" Mika said eagerly.

Akio replied the same only still unsure about Mika, "Okay…"

The kids then took off to their rooms; yet, they did not head outside. They instead ran over to the shelves built into the walls. Then, Akio slid open a panel on the floor. The shelves now became ladder as Mika followed after by Akio climbed down through. It sent them down into the men's room just as the other males in the crew came in. Each gave their own unique greeting to the kids and left them be as they - Mika - opened another secret panel and climbed down further. As they did so, Franky grinned proudly. Not of the kids specifically but rather in their use of his new addition to the Thousand Sunny; the Quick Escape Rabbit-Hole. As a precaution, in case of a raid, the kids could use this hidden ladder to escape from their room - a very defensible room - to another easily should they ever need to. Thus, Mika and Akio traveled further down until finally coming into their own room. Quickly, Mika rushed over to her drawers to find an outfit. On the other hand, Akio was a bit slower in changing. He was still fretting over what had happened with Mika earlier.

"Mika…" Akio spoke sounding worried. Once the girl stopped and looked over at him, he spoke further asking, "Are you okay?"

Immediately, Mika smiled. "Hmm-mm," she said with a nod.

"Are you sure?" Akio asked skeptically.

Mika nodded again. "Yeah," she said, "it was just...a thing." The last bit she had said sounding unsure.

Akio remained suspicious but did not push further on the issue. The fact that Mika didn't even seem to know what happened would not help him as he too was inexperienced. Regardless though, he would keep an eye on Mika for a while; except, for while he and Mika were changing their clothes. Thus, he pulled the curtain that was placed conveniently to allow the two kids some privacy from each other.

* * *

A little later, the two kids emerged from their room - using the front entrance this time - in different clothes. Mika had now adorned the clothes that had been seen in a previous chapter; orange shirt with purple butterflies, brown pants, and a black bandana. Likewise, Akio was also wearing new clothes. He now wore a short-sleeved red hoodie jacket with "Knock" on one-half of his shirt and "Out" on the other half in the front, both written in orange. His tan cargo pants were slightly ripped and town in places - mostly the pockets - and he was now wearing sneaker-like shoes.

The kids then traversed through the hull of the Thousand Sunny. They placed by the storage room - ammunitions moved to Franky and Usopp's workshops - and the traveled into the Soldier Dock System. From there, it was a simple matter of climbing the ladder up to the top and through the hatch. When the hatch opened, they both came out together and were greeted by a marvelous sight. Around the floating Sunny were many floating islands, some even with water floating around their edges. There were islands of all shapes and sizes as well as seasons and weathers too. It was like nothing else the kids had ever seen.

"Woah!" A shout from Luffy came, sounding excited. "This place is amazing!"

Both Mika and Akio looked over to see that all their crew had already finished changing as well; with the exception of Nami. The other Straw Hats had now adorned new clothes. Luffy with the same clothes seen in another chapter; blue open shirt, red pants, aviation goggles and helmet, and two bags - one of them a large canteen. Robin, Franky, and Brook too were the clothes they had been wearing in a chapter previously. Franky in his leather jacket, Robin her green-and-white striped long shirt, and Brook in his psychedelic vest, shirt, and pants. Then, there are the other Straw Hats.

First, Usopp; he looked almost like a jet fighter pilot. He wore an orange helmet with a pair of goggles over the forehead. Around his neck was a yellow pilot's scarf that covered a part of the strap and a part of his arsenal bag. His shirt was an indigo tank-top with a Japanese symbol on the front. His orange-yellow pants were actually coveralls with the upper part tied around his waist. Finally, he was wearing white gloves with long sleeves. Next to him was Chopper; he was wearing a green tank-top and dark green pants. His regular hat - a pink top hat with an 'X' on it - was covered mostly by a round, yellow cap with a skull-and-crossbones symbol in a circle and loose straps hanging off the side. The rim of Chopper's original hat was out as a rim for the bigger cap. Both were with Luffy looking around excitedly at the scenery.

Around was also Sanji and Zoro. The young blonde chef appeared similarly like a cowboy with a black cowboy hanging off his back. He was wearing two shirts; a red long-sleeved collared shirt over another collared pink button shirt. His pants were a muddy brown with a chain hanging off his hip from his belt. Nearby, Zoro was wearing a brown shirt with a deep V - partially showing his scar on his chest - with a yellow zigzag around the collar. He was wearing his traditional green haramaki over his shirt and black pants. His three swords were at his hips as usual. In place of his black bandana, Zoro now wore a red bandana with sunflower patterns on it. They, like all their crewmates, also marveled at the scenery around them.

"Welcome to Merveille!" Shiki's shout attracted everyone's, the kids included, attention. The man - with his arms spread up high flashily - on the other hand, has his attention completely on the adults and was especially close to Nami.

Then, again suddenly, Mika's eyes flashed the same dull red glow from before. This time, however, she didn't just sense malice. It was like watching a recording from a video Transponder Snail; she saw the man - Shiki - grab her mother. Then, he used his powers to reinstate the gravity to the Thousand Sunny and send them falling.

"A paradise for adventurers like yourselves. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here as my generous gift to you all." Shiki continued.

"Stop!" Mika shouted instantly, rushing out of the hatchway quickly.

Akio immediately shouted, "Mika!"

Instantly, the Straw Hat looked over to see the girl. Nami was the first to shout out in surprise, "Mika?"

"Stop!" Mika shouted again, desperately.

Unconcerned, Shiki went ahead with his plan. Swiftly, he grabbed the distracted woman, surprising woman. She, of course, let out a scream that brought everyone's attention back to him and they gasped in shock.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted angrily.

Still unconcerned, Shiki grinned with the woman under his arm. He then throughout his other hand down. He shouted, "Now let's…"

No one expected what came next. As everyone was attempting to stop Shiki, Mika had also been one of them. The young girl, whose eyes were still glowing dully in red, could still see the events unfolding and then some. She was still feeling the malice and she was now figuring that it was coming from the man taking her mother. She felt that she was about to lose her mother forever; a feeling she hadn't felt since her time with Garp. It scared her, and she wanted to do all she could to stop it. Thus, Mika ran to stop it. Unknowing though, that her eyes were glowing a brighter red.

" **STOP!** " Mika roared out.

Suddenly, in a quick second, a wave of royal purple aura pulsated out from Mika. It covered over the deck, the Straw Hats, Shiki, and even further. It engulfed the whole Thousand Sunny and expanded further until touching a small, floating island that they were passing by. In another second, everyone was covered in the aura. The Devil Fruit users - Luffy, Chopper, Robin, Brook, and Shiki - glowed white during this second. Then, in a third second, the purple aura receded back. It all went back into Mika, and then she began falling; she was completely unconscious.

Then, the Thousand Sunny starting falling, pulling the ground from beneath everyone's feet (and swords because of Shiki's unique physique). Instantly, the crew screamed out and everyone began to fall; including Shiki.

Shiki did not scream, but he was completely baffled. "F-Falling?!" Shiki shouted confused. He quickly activated his power, and he stopped his descent. Though grateful, he was still confounded by what had happened. "What?" He said, staring at his hands quizzical.

A shadow then covered over the man. He quickly looked up to over to see the small island - once floating - was now hurtling down towards him. Instantly, the man screamed out in shock. As the island drew nearer though, he soon acted and threw up both of his hands to touch the descending island.

Meanwhile, the Straw Hats and the Thousand Sunny kept falling. "We're falling!" shouted Usopp in fright.

While they all fell, though she too was screaming, Nami was also looking for her daughter. She soon spotted the girl, but she immediately noticed something wrong. Mika was completely unmoving. "Mika!" She shouted out.

"There you are!" Hearing the shout, Nami looked back to see Shiki already on top of her with an island floating behind him. His devious grin showing his true evil nature towards the woman.

Quickly, Nami acted. "Luffy!" She shouted, "Take care of Mika!"

Luffy heard his wife and was hesitant for just a moment. In the end, he nodded understandingly. Swiftly, he looked and found Mika. He then stretched his arms to grab the unconscious girl. Once she was safe in his arms, Luffy directed his gaze upward. High above him, he could see Shiki holding his wife, love, and navigator under his arms while grinning cunningly. Luffy thus became angry.

Luffy shouted, "Shiki!" He then shot forth one of his arms up at the man, hoping to hit him and free his wife.

Of course, Shiki foresaw such an act and quickly acted. Immediately, from the island behind him, rock and dirt moved to form a massive lion head. Pointing his finger, Shiki retaliated, "Lion's Threat!" On his command, the lion head made of rock and dirt let out a roar - somehow - and launched forward pass Shiki and Nami.

Luffy and the others gasped as the large lion head came down at them. It had completely stopped Luffy's fist and was now going to attempt to bite at the crew. Thankfully, the attack had not been truly aimed so it would miss hitting anyone. But, the sheer size of it was able to do another thing: blow them away. The wind force created by the lion head tossed the crew into many different directions. Zoro and Chopper went in one direction. Sanji and Usopp towards another. The three eldest - Robin, Franky, and Brook - were flung just as far in their own direction. Luffy held onto Mika tightly as they flew through the air wildly. This just left poor Akio on his own, flying away from everyone else. As for the Thousand Sunny, it had gotten lucky as the lion head rock pushed it further onto an island. It then crashed down the side of a mountain backward before finally stopping at its base.

Thus, the Straw Hat crew was scattered.

"Luffy!" Nami shouted out desperately, unable to him or anyone. "Guys!"

Shiki, on the other hand, remained silent. Taking into what he had just witnessed and experienced, he became intrigued. There was only one problem though.

 _'Who was it that could disable my power?'_ Shiki thought concerningly.


	6. Scene 6

**Author's Note: Back!**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 6**

 **Evolution Revolutionized**

"Captain Shiki!"

From one week ago, we return to the present. As previously, Nami was still trapped in the palace belonging to Shiki. Just as before, she was in the swimming pool room, and still there with her was Shiki and Scarlet. Of course, there was also the Booted Mynx secretly hiding in the tree in the room. All there attention was soon brought toward Doctor Indigo as he jollily walked in carrying something large and covered with a cloth. Once the man set the object down, he proclaimed out to his leader.

"Another new species has evolved!" Indigo then removed the cover. "Behold!"

From under the drape, it revealed the object to be a large cage. It was what lied inside that held the most interest though for Indigo as well as Shiki. It was a yellow bird that looked to be a mix of many other birds. The animal had the beak of a duck with the crown of a rooster and a long, feathery tail like a peacock. The poor creature looked utterly confused, with a snot-drip falling from one of its nostrils, as it looked around the room.

 **STRONG Dex New Entry:** _"Identification: Unknown. A newly discovered bird. It looks a little dim, but it may hold many surprises."_

Upon seeing the bird, Shiki gasped in shock. "What?! An electric guitar?" He said surprised.

Indigo slapped the back of the man's head in reprimand. "It's a freakin' bird!" He shouted.

The trio then posed like a comedy troupe after a routine towards Nami. The woman was not interested in their display. Then, the door to the cage swung open. Immediately, the bird flew out and onto the group. It then surprisingly produced a stunning amount of electricity that shocked the trio. Nami quickly covered her eyes from the flash of light. When it was over, she looked surprised to see the bird had charred the three stooges completely, the two lackeys falling to the ground even. She was astonished.

 **STRONG Dex, update:** _"Identification: Unknown. Bird creature can produce shocking results by being able to produce stunning electricity."_

Recovering fast though, Shiki quickly grabbed the bird's head and threw it. "You little shit!" He shouted out in anger.

The bird bounced off the floor and crashed over by Nami. Worried for the bird, Nami rushed over to tend to the bird. "Hey!" She shouted at the man angrily.

Unconcerned, Shiki turned to Indigo with vague intrigue. "Is this the new discovery you were talking about, Doctor?" He asked.

From on the ground, Indigo replied excitedly, "Yes! A bird that can produce an exuberant amount of electricity. A fascinating evolution isn't it!"

"Hmm," Shiki hummed before grinning devilishly. "Indeed."

Hearing the term used, Nami repeated it out of curiously, "Evolution?"

Still grinning, Shiki turned to the woman. "Ah, curious are we?" He asked before continuing, "Since you're going to join my crew anyway, I should tell you about our little experiment."

Shiki then explains, "About 20-some years ago, Doctor Indigo came across this island with never-before-seen animals and deduced they had rapidly evolved thanks to a local plant grown on this island called 'IQ'. It is a unique plant that can stimulate the brain of these animals and prompt them to evolve accordingly with their environment."

Indigo soon got up, brushed off some of the charred dust, and explained further on. "So, we collected up every IQ plant we could find on this island and extracted their essence to create a new drug…" from his coat pocket, the doctor pulled out two test tubes; one with green pills and the other with green liquid, "I call it 'SIQ'!"

"'SIQ'?" Nami repeated confused.

Indigo nodded and continued, "Yes, and with it, we've been testing it on the animals of this island. Making them more dangerous, more aggressive..."

Shiki then intruded."Yes..." he said as he pulled out a flintlock pistol, surprising Nami. He then aimed it out into the room. "Animals like this one!" He shouted and fired.

Nami yelped out in fright when the gun fired despite it not being aimed at her. Then, there came a screech. Nami and the others looked across to see the Booted Mynx fall to the floor. It surprisingly landed on its paws and feet. The feline hissed threateningly towards the pirates and then charged forward on all fours. As it ran, it shifted into running on two legs and brandished its rapier. It then aimed and lunged with its swords at Shiki. Despite the immediate danger, Shiki stood confidently still.

Swiftly, Scarlet got between Shiki and the point of the rapier. Even swifter, the large ape grabbed the rapier and then grabbed the feline. The cat struggled in the primate's hand until it finally had the idea to bit him. Despite being bitten, Scarlet reacted as if nothing had happened to it. Yet, even still, the ape smashed the Booted Mynx into the ground a few times. Once he was done he tossed the cat into the pool carelessly. The cat soon floated back up to the top, unmoving and unconscious.

"Well," Shiki said with a grin, "that was new."

Indigo then reported, "There had been a few attacks by the animals on my soldiers that I've sent out to administer the drug. They've reported that among them there was one cat-like creature wielding a rapier. Clearly, this must be that one."

"Then, it seems we've caught one of our rebellious experiments," Shiki stated contently.

Feeling sympathetic towards the creature, Nami quickly rushed into the pool; the bird staying on land and watching curiously. She carefully pulled the creature through the water and then carefully up the stairs until it was mostly out of the water. Quickly, she checked over the animal, and thankfully it was still alive and breathing. This relieved Nami mentally, but she soon frowned as she still had to deal with this pirate captain and his two lackeys.

So, she asked out, "What exactly is your plan."

Shiki grinned maliciously. "Oh you'll learn soon enough," he then began walking up to her, "once you've joined my crew."

Nami frowned. "I'm not-"

"You will!" Shiki said suddenly, almost forceful.

Quickly, Nami became silent out of fear. Her instincts telling her to remain so.

With the woman quiet, Shiki began smiling confidently. "You will join my crew, Nami baby, and you'll be the one to ask to join. Because you see, you will need something of your captain and as my crew mate I will allow it."

Breaking through her fear, Nami determinedly replied, "I will never leave my crew."

Surprisingly, Shiki laughed. "Ji-ha-ha-ha, we'll see, Baby." He told the girl confidently.

Then, Scarlet began speaking and banging on his chest. As he got out of the pool though, Indigo was surprisingly able to understand. "Huh? You want to 'make this woman your wife'?" He translated curiously.

Scarlet let out an "ooh" and nodded.

Indigo immediately criticized the ape, "You're not even in the same species!"

Then, Shiki gasped as he stared at Scarlet. "Ah! What a relief. For a second, I thought you were my aunt." He said in astonishment.

With a karate chop to the man's skull, Indigo rebuked, "How many members of your family look like apes?!"

Again, the trio posed before Nami, attempting another gag. Of course, she was again not interested in the trio's comedy act. Instead, she focused on the feline before her. She may not be an expert doctor like Chopper, but she knew well enough a broken bone or concussion. Thus, she occupied herself by tending to the injuries of the cat. Even the bird, despite having just met, was trying to comfort the animal.

Realizing today's recruitment efforts were finished, Shiki decided to take his leave. Just before leaving though, he soon recalled a stray thought he hadn't thought of in a week. He thus stopped just before the door. "By the way," he spoke curiously before turning to look at Nami directly, "what can you tell of what happened during my...'recruitment' of you a week ago?"

Nami glared at the man, very bitter about recalling that memory, but was otherwise confused on what the man meant. Thus, she remained quiet and dealt with the feline before her.

Despite not getting an answer, Shiki understood what her silence meant. "I see," he responded, "then never mind." Finally, he left the room with his crew.

Once after the doors were shut, Nami let out a breath in relief. She then looked out the window into the gray world around her room. Worry crept into her gaze as she wondered aloud, "I hope they're all safe…"

* * *

Once outside the room, and the doors closed, Shiki spoke up again. "Doctor Indigo, do you have a report from the expedition team?" He asked

Indigo hummed a bit curiously, but soon recalled the information his leader needed. "Ah yes," he said happily, "it seems they have found the ruins."

"And?" Shiki asked.

Holding up a finger, signaling for him to wait a moment, Indigo dug into his coat pocket. He soon pulled out a Transponder Snail and began dialing. "I'll put them through now," he told his boss before handing him the receiver.

The Transponder Snail began ringing, making its familiar dial tone. This went on for about thirty seconds before finally, the snail made a click sound. Then, a voice spoke through the snail, who also acted like the said person on the other side of the line.

 _"Hello."_ spoke a man's voice, in a neutral tone.

Shiki responded, "This is Shiki…"

 _"Sir."_ responded the man, still in the same tone.

Shiki raised her brow in suspicion. "Have you and your team looked over those ruins yet?" He asked, looking somewhat impatient.

 _"Yes,"_ the man replied, _"we are still studying them since our arrival two days ago…"_

"And?"

There was a momentary pause from the speaker. Then, he spoke again, _"So far, we have not learned anything."_

Shiki visibly arched his brow with surprise. "You're sure?" he asked.

Another pause. _"...Yes,"_ the man said.

Disappointed, Shiki replied, "Very well. Report back when you discover something important."

 _"Yes, sir."_ Then, the snail fell silent; sleeping peacefully now.

Indigo watched curiously as after placing the dial back atop the snail's shell, Shiki began to ponder about while scratching his chin. Intrigued, he asked, "What's got you thinkin', Captain?"

Shiki replied suspiciously, "I don't like how that conversation sounded."

"Oh?" Indigo said with interest.

Before Shiki could voice his concern, a shout came down the hall. "Lord Shiki!" A man in a black suit came running hurriedly to the man. Once he reached the man, he stopped and rested quickly to catch his breath.

Baffled, Shiki asked impatiently, "Yeah? What is it?"

"We…" the man said stopping momentarily to catch his breath. He then continued, "One of the patrols found a small dingy off the coast of the main island!"

"Yeah?" Shiki said becoming irritated.

The man quickly blurted out, "It has Whitebeard's symbol on it!"

Shiki gasped in shock. "What?!"

* * *

After placing the dial on his own snail, which looked similar to Indigo in appearance, the scientist man turned to someone. His eyes almost lifeless as he spoke in the same monotone voice, "What is your command, Master…"

"Well done," responded a man in a cheery tone.

The man in question is Laffiette, the navigator of the Blackbeard crew. In his hand, he had a small coin tied to a string; the indication of hypnotism. He wasn't alone though; he was with his crew as they stood around in a room of hieroglyphics. Not only them but a number of scientist men, all of them with blank expressions like they were in standby mode. They all were currently in a half-sunken ruin somewhere on Merveille.

With the man in his control, Laffiette then turned to the man immediately behind him. "So, Captain," he said still cheery, "what shall we ask him?

"Easy." Teach said eagerly.

The large man walked forward, Laffiette stepping aside respectfully, and up to the man. The scientist remained completely still as Blackbeard's large shadow covered him. Then, as he looked down on the man, Teach grinned a devious and toothy smirk as he asked his question.

"I've heard Shiki mention this thing for the entire week," Teach said. "What is this 'sovereign power' that he's so interested in?"


	7. Scene 7

**Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! Without further stalling,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 7**

 **Akio's Week**

In a forest somewhere on the many islands of Merveille, there was a big creature careening through the foliage haphazardly. It knocked down small trees, barreled through bushes, and loudly shook the ground with each and every step. Throughout its path through the jungle, this creature left golden fur on everything from the leaves to the ground below it. Not only had this beast left just these visible marks, but also leaving large paw prints the size of a discus behind it. Further on ahead, the beast with its massive, car-sized body trampled through grass and flowers at full speed. Its head, similar to that of the Great Pyrenees dog breed, panted as it ran cheerfully. Meanwhile, its second dog head, a Chow Chow, held more level and peered forward determinedly with purpose.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Golden Orthrus. A truly loyal canine. Because of this nature, it tends to hang around humans that share the same qualities. They make for excellent guardians, though their two heads may not always agree on how to do so."_

Then, from upon the Golden Orthrus' fluffy back, there came a shout. "Hurry, Bark and Bite! He'll catch up with us!" said an all too familiar young boy.

Upon command, the Chow head barked to its Pyrenees' partner. Cheerily, it seemed to comply and they began moving faster.

Holding on tightly, the boy soon sat up to see over the long fur of his animal companion. The boy was Akio, still dressed in his clothes from a week ago, and was looking back behind themselves cautiously. Though he could not see anything behind, the boy was sure that their pursuer had not given up. Still, knowing that they - the dog - put some serious distance between them was one comforting thought. He only hoped that this time it would last.

"Hey! Kid!"

A shout, from out front of them, made the large canine stop suddenly. Akio nearly flew off, but he held on tightly. They both - and both heads - began to search around quickly. The jungle around them was deathly still and quiet. None of them could see who had called out, but they knew who it was regardless.

"Up here, guys!"

Akio and Bite and Bark looked up. The boy gasped as he looked up. Immediately, both dog heads hunched down and began growling threateningly upwards. Despite having his guardian animal with him, Akio was still in fear of the person he saw sitting upon a large tree branch. For the first time in his young life, he was utterly terrified. He had no way of defending himself and his crew was scattered across this island. Yet still, he had doubts that they would be able to do anything against this opponent. Even he, despite his young age, knew the terror that this man could bring. Him, and the symbol on his back.

The Jolly Roger of the Whitebeard Pirates.

* * *

 **A week ago, just after the incident with Shiki…**

It had been a long journey, but Portgas D. Ace had finally caught a break in his pursuit for Marshall D. Teach or Blackbeard as he had been going by for two years now. The young, black-haired man had been surprised that he had been away from the main fleet for so long, but getting revenge for his fallen friend was important. It had been hard though; he had missed Blackbeard at Banaro Island and it severely set him back. After that, Blackbeard had practically disappeared. Ace spent the next two years searching high and low for the man. Then, he ran into his little brother, Monkey D. Luffy, and his crew; and his brother's daughter. Never had he thought he'd see the day that his brother would not only have a girlfriend - his navigator, Nami - but also a kid? He was shocked but enjoyed meeting the little child. It would have to visit soon, but for now, he had a mission to complete.

 _'Finally...'_

After much searching and investigation, he had finally gotten a clue about the whereabouts of Blackbeard and his crew. There had been a rumor of pirate captains being recruited by a legendary pirate for an unknown purpose. He had come across a barkeep that had met a man named 'Blackbeard' that was interested in joining this cause. After a week of searching, Ace soon came upon Merveille. He was amazed to see the island composed of floating pieces of land and water floating around freely. Still, he couldn't marvel for long. He had to find a port and search for Blackbeard.

That is, until he heard a distant scream. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Ace immediately stopped, cutting power to his Striker with his Flare-Flare Fruit powers. He then stopped his boat in the water, careful not to get wet, and began to look confusedly around. Then, he looked up. He gasped, "Holy shit!" Far above him, the second commander saw a child falling down from the sky. The kid looked absolutely helpless.

Swiftly, Ace started up his Striker with his flames. He made a small circle around in the water and then sped forward fast towards the direction of the boy. As he powered forward closer to the boy, the young man could see that his target was heading for one of the few pieces of land that was still in the sea. He soon saw the shore coming up, but he was not worried. Cutting the engine again, Ace let the boat sail through the water towards the beach. He then jumped just before the Striker struck the beach. Ace flew through the air towards the boy. Skillfully, he caught the boy and landed safely in the jungle.

"Hey," Ace spoke concerned as he stared down at the kid. "Hey, kid, wake up."

The boy - Akio - had his eyes closed and his whole body curled defensively. He had expected to be in pain - or dead - but he felt none. In fact, he felt like he was in someone's arms. Slowly, he opened one of his eyes and became shocked to see a freckled, orange-hat wearing man staring down at him concerned and confused. Opening both eyes now, Akio blinked back also confused. "Um, hi." He responded back.

Ace immediately breathed out in relief. "Thank Oda," he said.

"Um," Akio spoke again nervously and a bit embarrassed, "can I get down now?"

"Oh! Sure, yeah." Ace said embarrassed too. He then set the boy down carefully on his feet. Once settled, Ace then decided to ask out of curiosity.

Thankful to be on the ground, Akio looked up at the man and gave him his gratitude. "Thank you, Mister." He said with a polite bow.

Surprised, Ace gave out a chuckle. "Yeah, no problem, kid." He said with a cheerful grin.

Akio smiled back but then immediately began to frown. He turned around and began looking around in an upwards direction. He furrowed his brow as he was unable to see anything. He then mumbled out, "Oh man…"

"So, kid," Ace spoke gaining the child's attention, "is it typical of the people around here to fall off these islands?"

"Um, I don't know," Akio responded unsurely.

Ace raised his brow. "You don't?" He repeated.

"I'm not from here." Akio admitted, "me and my crew was coming through here heading to the East Blue when this Shiki guy suddenly dropped us and scattered us."

Before he responded, Ace recognized a name. "Shiki?" He repeated surprised. "Are you saying that old legend is here?"

"You know him?" asked Akio.

"Only stories from Pops." Ace admitted. He then looked up at the floating islands and commented, "I didn't think he was still alive though."

Then, Akio let out a loud groan. "What am I gonna do," he said in worry, "I don't know where any of my crewmates are."

Ace looked down at the kid sympathetically. While he did have a mission to complete, it was more important to take care of this kid. The thought made him chuckle; he wondered if this was what being an uncle was about. He then spoke out,"Say..." As the child turned to him he continued, "I'll help you out, Kid."

Akio gasped happily. "You will!" He said hopefully.

Grinning, Ace replied, "Yeah!" Then he gestured behind him with his thumb towards his boat and told the child, "I'll just grab my boat and we'll start looking."

This got Akio excited. "Awesome," the boy cheered out. Then, as the man began to leave to get his boat, Akio decided he could trust this man. "I'm Akio by...the…" About to follow the man, Akio stopped and his jaw dropped as he saw what was on the man's back.

"Nice to meet you, Akio." Ace replied back as he walked away. "I'm Portgas D. Ace."

The boy didn't reply back; in fact, he was too scared to. He hadn't expected it, but when he saw the large tattoo on the man's back he had realized his error. He recognized it immediately as the symbol of the Whitebeard pirates, and as a child of the Grand Line, he knew all too well how scary Whitebeard and his crew were. Thanks in due to a jump rope rhyme.

 _The pirate Whitebeard, scarier than the Devil_

 _Under his command are the 16 generals_

 _Marco the Phoenix, the first commander_

 _Fire Fist Ace, burning up ships_

 _The third commander Jozu, tough as diamonds…_

Having recalled enough, Akio soon realized who he was talking to. "F-F-Fire Fist Ace!" He shouted out in fear.

Overhearing him, Ace was impressed. "Oh, so you've heard of me," he said back cheerily.

Once after he checked his boat, Ace spoke out to the boy again. "Alright, are you ready to…" When Ace turned to see the boy though, he only saw the boy already running in the opposite direction. Of course, Ace was confused by this.

"Hey!" Ace immediately shouted before giving chase.

* * *

 **A week later, present…**

"Geesh, kid," Ace said surprised, "you've really given me quite the tour these islands."

After a week of chasing the boy, Ace had finally caught the boy. So now, Akio and his canine companion were both sitting before the man. Each head with a large, goose-egg lump on their heads from discipline. Ace sat opposite them, looking both stern and impressed.

"But now," Ace said smugly as he leaned down to meet the boy's eyes, "we're gonna talk."

Though feeling intimidated, Akio kept a brave face on. "Y-You may be a part of Whitebeard's crew," he shouted out bravely, "but my crew is way stronger!"

Ace sat up intrigued, smiling. "Oh really," he said amused.

"My captain is super strong!" Akio continued, "He once beat up a super giant!"

"Super giant huh." Ace said familiarly.

"Yeah! So if you think my captain is scared of Whitebeard, then you've got another thing comin'!"

 _'His captain reminds me of Luffy,'_ Ace thought amusedly while scratching his chin. He didn't dwell on it much as there were more pressing matters to handle. Understanding that the boy was clearly afraid of him, he decided to quell the boy's fears.

"Look, Akio," Ace said calmly, "I'm sure my and Whitebeard's reputations proceed us, but I have no intention of harming you or your crew."

Akio blinked with surprise, but he had yet to accept the statement. "Well, yeah! Because…"

"Kid, all I want to do is help you get to your crew." Ace said quickly, cutting the boy off from further lying. He then smiled, being friendly, and extended his hand out in kindness.

"So let's go search for them together."

Silent, Akio took a moment to think over. He had been running from his man for a week; dodging, hiding, and escaping him at every turn. Each time, he got onto another island that was closely floating by the island. He even ran into his two-headed dog companion along the way. He befriended it and it became his aid in his run from the man. Despite all that though, he had realized some things had been odd about their chase. The most obvious of these realizations was that he could sleep at night; the man always seemed to fall asleep just before he needed to. Then, food came easily to him; in fact, they seemed almost prepared for him. Even when he found water, it didn't taste weird. Now that he really thought things over, he quickly found that he had actually been taken care of by his chaser than being chased.

Still skeptical though, Akio decided that he could trust the man, again, this time. "Yeah," he said as he accepted Ace's hand.

Instantly, Ace grinned cheerfully. "Great!" He said, also helping the child up.

No sooner after, the Golden Orthrus got up and walked up to the man. The Pyrenees head then immediately began licking the flame man affectionately. Ace laughed and patted the canine's first head. The Chow remained stoic, but also received a pet which made it smile a little.

Akio smiled. "The taller head is Bark," he stated politely, "the grumpy one I call Bite."

"Nice to meet you guys," Ace said as he finished petting them. He then turned to the kid and spoke, "So, where should we start?"

Akio quickly pointed out, "That one!" It was one of the larger island floating in the sky. He then explained to the man, "When I was falling, I saw it fall over that way towards that island."

Ace thought for a moment. "Pops did say that Shiki had the power to float stuff," he muttered aloud. Then, after looking at the situation, Ace could see several long roots growing off the island's side. This gave him an idea.

"Alright," Ace said determinedly, "let's go climbing."

"Okay!" Akio said readily.

Both males then hopped onto Bite-Bark's back and rode towards the floating island. The huge dog happily galloped through the forest and across the grassland with its masters on its back. In a matter of minutes, they were already nearing the closest of the vines, now proving to be much larger the closer they got to them. After a while, the grassland suddenly turned scorched earth as they entered a volcanic area. The volcano was miles away but there was already an intense amount of heat. Nothing that Ace couldn't handle; unfortunately, the heat was a little much for Akio and worst for Bite-Bark. Seeing this, Ace assured the two that they were nearing the roots and that they would escape the heat soon.

Unfortunately, as their dog-steed ran across the dried lava, their presence had not gone unnoticed. As the group passed a large cave, they had awoken something large inside. As it began to move, its first stomp shook the ground and made Bite-Bark stop suddenly. Ace and Akio looked back as they saw a large, salmon pink lizard with a tuft of pink hair on its head crawl out of its cave. It was at least as large as building and just as long. Its razor sharp yellow eyes stared down at the group as it saw its next meal. It gave out a roar and then charged at the group.

"Ah!" screamed Akio in fear.

Swiftly, Ace got off the dog. "I've got this," he told the boy confidently. He walked towards the charging lizard unafraid, and suddenly igniting on fire partially.

Akio gasped in shock at the man. "Whoa!" He shouted out.

Grinning, Ace stopped walking and reeled back his fist. It soon caught on fire, and he soon launched his fist out forward. "Fire Fist!" He shouted. From his fist, a large column of fire shot forth and engulfed the large lizard.

After a few seconds, Ace cut the firepower and he turned back around. As he saw the sheer amazement on Akio's face, as well as Bite and Bark, Ace couldn't help but feel a bit cocky. He thus spoke out, "And that's why they call me 'Fire…"

A sudden roar interrupted Ace, and he looked back in shock. The flames began to recede as the lizard began to suck in the fire into its mouth. Once it was all gone, and its cheeks full of fire, it swallowed it all. It licked its lips with its lizard tongue and stared down at the one who produced the fire. The lizard's gaze looking hungrily at the young man.

"What?!" shouted Ace shocked.

Akio shouted out in fear, "What is that?!"

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Natsu Salamander. This mighty lizard is the king of the volcano. Its skin can withstand even magma, and it enjoys the taste of fire. Watch out for its fire breath."_

The Natsu Salamander gave out another roar and it charged again at Ace. Both man and boy screamed out in fright, and immediately Ace made a strategic retreat. Quickly, Ace hopped right onto Bite-Bark's back and urged it to move. The two-headed dog of course obeyed and it took off running. The lizard continued to chase after them, breathing fire out as it roared. It chased the group across the barren land. Soon, Bite-Bark came upon the roots that would lead them to the island above. They made a mighty leap, it sailed across the sky, and landed safely on the largest and twistiest of roots. That didn't last long; unfortunately, the Natsu Salamander could make the jump as well to the root. Seeing this, Bite-Bark took the group further up the root. Once on, the lizard immediately gave chase after them.

Thus, the chase continued on further.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Today's first facts goes to the two animals this time around**

 **The Golden Orthrus:**

 **Akio's animal representation: Dog**

 **Picking a single dog representation was tough. Luckily, my Beta Reader, Surrealmime, was very informative about which two to pick; a Chow chow and a Great Pyrenees with a little Golden Retriever for added color.**

 **Natsu Salamander:**

 **"Natsu" translates to "summer" in Japanese**

 **"Salamander" is another word for dragon**

 **This animal is essentially Ace's counter, based on Natsu Dragneel who beat Ace in a Death Battle**

 **Part of the reason for this rewrite is to include Ace and wrap up a plot hole in the original series, Straw Hat Family. By all accounts, Ace should have never been able to meet the Straw Hats and Mika during the latter's birthday. No one ever really pointed it out because it was just a nice chapter I doubt anyone gave it any thought.**

 **No, most people complained about the pseudo-Hyperbolic Time Chamber**

 **Back to the point, this rewrite is also meant to fix that plot hole. So, for anyone confused, this is how I explained things: a storm delayed them. Then, Blackbeard and crew left afterward and Ace missed them.**

 **There, done, don't care how confused you are about it.**


	8. Scene 8

**Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! Without further stalling,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 8**

 **Those that Wander**

"Nami!"

"Shh! Shut up!" Usopp said in a loud whisper.

On a spring weather island, there was an expansive field of flowers under a large sakura tree blooming off the edge of a cliff. As its petals fell, two people were on its roots searching. It was Usopp and Sanji, still in their outfits from a week ago. The two pirates were looking for their crewmates; and obviously, Sanji was searching more specifically for the females of his crew. Unfortunately, searching so loudly and passionately was not a safe option on this island. For the shouts were attracting the attention of some less-than-welcomed beasts.

"Robin-"

Suddenly, a giant beetle appeared from behind the tree. It roared out and shot fire from its mouth as it flew after the two.

"Ah!" screamed out Usopp. "It's a bug!"

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Kaen Kabuto. A vicious beetle with the power to breathe out burning fire. Its steely exoskeleton makes it a tough opponent to defeat."_

Immediately, Usopp and Sanji ran from the fire-breathing beetle. They did not run for long as Sanji quickly went on the offensive. He delivered strong and quick blows to the bug and defeated it.

Then, Sanji continued shouting out names. "Mika!"

Immediately, another beast answered the call. A giant chicken popped up from behind Usopp and his lizard friend. It had razor sharp teeth in its beak, two sets of wings, and star patterned chest. It gave out a fierce squawk before it charged at the duo.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Shimatori. A true 'cock of the walk'and the walk is an entire island! This bird won't go down without a fight, and is said to be able to fight even a T-Rex!"_

"Aah!" screamed out Usopp. "Now its a chicken!"

Again, the two men ran, and of course, the Shimatori gave chase after them. Like before, Sanji easily took care of the beast. A quick round of kicks and the bird went down instantly.

"Nami! Mika!" Sanji shouted determinedly, one part in victory and another still in searching.

"Stop doing that!" shouted Usopp angrily.

Of course, another creature appeared. This one was an odd green giraffe-looking creature was an amazingly flexible neck. It roared out and charged at the group, just as the other beasts had.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Giragon. This long-neck beast has the blood of dragons in its veins, which explains the flexible neck. As such, it has a great amount of pride in its abilities and attacks anything in its territory to prove it."_

"Run!" shouted Usopp. He and Sanji again took off running, attempting to get away from the creature.

In no time, again, Sanji took care of the beast. "Robin!" And again, Sanji roared in victory while also searching for his ladies. Thus again, his shout attracted another beast.

Now, a giant and green caterpillar was after them. Of course, since this was Sanji's fault, Usopp had to shout at Sanji. "Would you quit it already?!"

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Oh Imomushi. A very, very hungry caterpillar indeed. This enormous bug can devour a forest in a day. Perhaps one day, an unfortunate day, it will become a butterfly."_

The both of them ran from huge bug as it crawled after them, several feet by several feet at a time. As they neared the cliff, Sanji had gotten an idea on how to avoid it. As they jumped off the cliff, Sanji grabbed the closest vine coming off the sakura tree and grabbed Usopp by his leg. Of course, the caterpillar had attempted to jump after them. It failed, missing completely thanks to Sanji pulling Usopp up, and it plummeted down below.

"We're gonna die. We're gonna die. We're gonna die." Usopp repeated ad nauseam in panic.

Ignoring his panicking friend, Sanji breathed out in relief. "That was close." He said calmly.

As Usopp calmed down, he went to look up at Sanji to tell him something, but then he caught sight of something else. Panicking again, he pointed up. "S-Sanji," he said, "up!"

Immediately, Sanji looked up as well. It turned out, the vine he had grabbed was not a vine but a whisker. Peering further up, the whisker was attached to a large, blue tiger who did not look pleased that one of its whiskers were being pulled. Sanji was about to freak out but held it in. Quickly, he swung on the whisker and jumped onto the next vine. As he swung, the already peeved tiger stood up on its six legs and followed after them. In seeing it, Sanji tossed Usopp back onto the cliff. Obviously, the cat followed after the long-nosed man. Just as Usopp was about to move, the cat landed in front of the man. The tiger growled viciously towards the man and made him scream out in fright.

STRONG Dex: "Identification: Toramata. A fierce and almost mystical beast. This big cat can stalk prey like a ghost. It can use four of its six legs to attack with quadruple the claws."

"S-Sanji!" called out Usopp in fright. Suddenly, Usopp was hit by the bags Sanji had been carrying.

As for Sanji, he had tossed the bags to climb up the vine. Once he was on the branch, he quickly ran down the branch, yelling out determinedly. Halfway down the tree, Sanji jumped out. In the air, he spun fastly in the air as he soared towards the tiger. He soon stopped with one leg out and then brought the heel of his foot down upon the Toramata's head. "Concassé!" He shouted, smashing his foot on the cat's skull. The tiger then collapsed; defeated.

When Sanji landed on the ground, in front of Usopp, he took his cigarette box and took out a cigarette. Once stuck in his mouth and lit, Sanji commented out annoyed, "Annoying cat."

"G-Great work, Sanji!" Usopp called out, becoming boisterous and proud. "Exactly how I told you to defeat it."

Before Sanji could retort that obvious lie, something whizzed between him and Usopp. Both men looked over to see a crater now in between them. Concerned, they both looked up into the tree as the heard grunts and moos. Appearing from behind tree branches, several small, round red bulls with manes revealed themselves. Their three, pink horns like a triangle jutting out from the either side of their heads as well as below their lower jaw. All of them stared angrily towards the to humans before one of them began getting the jitters. Then, a single bull launched forward as fast as a bullet. Missing Sanji nearly the bull crashed into the ground making a crater similar to the one before. They were both shocked.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Cowball. As fast as a bullet and with all the destructive power of a cannonball. These aren't bulls you want to grab by the horns, you'll more than likely end up as a crater full of blood, limbs, and organs."_

Usopp spoke up sound both scared and tired. "What now?"

Then, one after the other, the Cowballs shot forth at the group. Each bull crashing around the group. Their numbers soon added up as each crater began to form cracks in the ground. Eventually, without warning, the ground beneath the group began to break apart. The two men yelled out in surprise as they began falling with the rubble down the side of the cliff. All of it splashed down into the water, and luckily, so did Usopp and Sanji. Unfortunately, they both had been knocked unconscious by the fall. Now, they were floating in the water, unaware of where they had ended up.

For in the distance, there was a village…

* * *

From beautiful spring weather, the scene now changes to a barren landscape of harsh winter weather. The wind blew hard as gray clouds let adrift snowfall. Nothing seemed to grow here either, and nothing seemed to live here. Yet, there was some life here; trudging forward despite the harsh conditions and lack of proper wear. Braving this harsh environment was a large panda-like creature with pink instead of white with black fur. Not only this but it had two antlers sticking out of both sides of its head, and both filled with petal-like fur growing off of them. It withstood against the wind bravely as it held a little girl in its arms and protected her from the wind.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Giant Sakura Pandeer. A gentle giant said to be a sign of good luck. It can often be seen watching over children, but it can become a serious fighter when confronted."_

The young girl held within the bear's arm had shoulder-length, light-red hair and wore nothing more than a white-and-purple dress. Interestingly, she had a very beak-ish mouth and feathers growing out around her elbow and arms. Using said arms, she used them both to protect a flowering plant; a very unusual plant.

They weren't alone though; there was another creature leading the way for them. It cat-like creature that looked like a mix between a shark and a tiger. It had the same coloration as a tiger with the stripes being blue. Its face was angular like a shark's head only with whiskers and catlike eyes. It had fins on all four legs as well as one long dorsal fin stretching from just below the neck to down near the tail. Its tail was thicker than a usual tiger tail and also looked like a tail fin.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: King's Torasame. Always on the hunt, this predator is relentless. It even attacks prey three times its size. Not only on land but in the water as well."_

As they marched forward, the beasts soon noticed some obstructions ahead. Two beasts were fighting; either for territory or to eat. One of them was a long, purple snake creature with several leg limbs and red fur growing down the length of the creature's back. It was fighting a cyan and black-spotted tyrannosaurus rex creature with a white fur on its back, neck, and under its chin. It also had brown antlers protruding from the top of its head. The dinosaur creature fought fiercely with the snake-centipede and eventually won by tossing the creature far away. It then let out a roar in victory.

 **STRONG Dex, Double Creature Feature:**

 _"Identification: Dasoku. Alternative name: Mukade Hebi. This long and large snake as many legs to help it move across land and sea. It moves in single file to confuse any tracker into its trap."_

 _"Identification: Ettousaurus. The king of the frozen wasteland. Unlike its tropical cousin, this dinosaur can't handle hot temperatures. Its horns are as tough as stone."_

Now done with its battle, the Ettousaurus was now hungry. A quick sniff of the air and it soon found its new prey; the animals protecting the little girl. It roared out and charged straight at the group. The creatures and girl immediately saw the dinosaur beast coming at them. Instantly, the girl gasped out in surprise and fainted. At the ready, King's Torasame crouched down ready to attack while the Giant Sakura Pandeer held the girl closer to itself defensively. The dinosaur roared as it steadily grew closer to attack the group.

Then, there came a metallic slash. The Ettousaurus froze instantly. Slowly, it began moving except it was not heading forward. The dinosaur fell over; defeated and unconscious. The animals were surprised at the sudden turn of events, wondering who or what defeated the beast. They soon had their answer as a green-haired human - Zoro - landed in front of them holding three swords. The tiger-shark creature hissed out, already on guard in case this man was going to fight. To its surprise though, the man stood up and sheathed two of his swords then the third one in his mouth. Once done, he looked towards them with concern.

"Is she alright?" Zoro asked immediately.

While the fishy cat did not respond, the bear was quick to respond. It gave out a gentle yap and began shaking its head fervently. It then held out the unconscious girl, showcasing its concern.

Understanding mostly, Zoro nodded. "Hey, Chopper!" He called out from behind.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. The animals became immediately alarmed and began searching for whatever was making the earth move. They eventually spotted the cause as from over the hill came a giant mammoth with many scars and six legs marched into view. Riding atop this large beast was Chopper, currently in the same clothes from a week ago plus in Heavy Point form.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Mammoth Dense. This ancient beast has said to roam the frozen lands since before time. It uses its powerful six legs to plow through snow and rocks and animals in search of food."_

"Did we make it in time?" Chopper asked out quickly, worried about the little girl's condition.

After a quick double-check, Zoro nodded. "Yeah," he replied back. Then, he told his reindeer crewmate, "Hurry up and give her your coat."

"Ah, yeah, right." Chopper said in agreement. As he was about to go for his 'coat', the talking reindeer suddenly realized his error. "This is my fur!" He shouted back at Zoro in retort.

"Oh yeah," Zoro said casually.

After some convincing from Chopper, as he could talk to animals, the two creatures decided to tag along with the human, reindeer, and mammoth. The Giant Sakura Pandeer was definitely more accepting of their new friends; it quickly joined Chopper atop the mammoth along with Zoro. Only the King's Torasame remained on the ground; specifically, walking beside the mammoth as it began its journey forward. As they sat comfortable, Zoro had the idea of how to keep the little girl warm. Placing her on Zoro's lap, Zoro would sit in Chopper's Heavy Point lap, and finally, Heavy Point Chopper would sit in the lap of the Giant Sakura Pandeer's lap. Successfully, they were able to keep each other warm as well as the girl. And in time, she began to stir.

Humming and mumbling just a bit, the young light red-haired girl began to awaken. Once so, she soon noticed that she had been elevated higher than before and that there was a big, brown, woolly creature carrying her. Now fully awake, she sat and looked back to see a green-haired man, a brown gorilla, and her animal friend sitting. Of course confused, she spoke up though meekly, "Um…"

"Finally awake," Zoro spoke.

"Um!" The little girl said nervously, starting to panic a little.

Noticing this, Chopper quickly reprimanded the swordsman. "Zoro!" He said out scornful, "You're scaring her."

Zoro immediately clenched his teeth with frustration. "I didn't do anything." He told his crewmate.

"Treat her like you would Mika." Chopper urged empathetically.

The girl gasped. "The gorilla can talk?!" She said surprised, then immediately fainting.

Her faint shocked the group. "Nice going, Chopper!" shouted Zoro in outrage.

After some more time passed, the little girl once again woke up. No longer surprised by Chopper's form, she was able to answer their questions. First among them; why was she out in this winter wasteland with only these two animals - the Giant Sakura Pandeer and the King's Torasame - to protect her.

"Um… I… Um… They… Um..." Her response was a mix of nervousness and concern. All the while, clutching the plant she had held onto even after fainting twice.

Observantly, Zoro decided that the matter was clearly something important to the girl. More than likely, she was conflicted to explain her situation for one reason or another. So, he downplayed the question. "Whatever," he told the girl sounding apathetic, "let's just get out the place."

Chopper easily, and unwittingly, followed with this tangent. "Yeah," he agreed, "I'm honestly getting tired of this area, despite how much it's like home."

Hearing this, the girl perked up. "If you head that way" she pointed left "we'll be out of the snowy area in half a day."

Zoro and Chopper gasped in shock. They then looked in the direction that the girl had pointed. In that very direction, they saw that the barren snow-filled land cut off and there was a green, spring-seasoned forest and crystal clear lake not far from their position. This realization soon brought a deadpanned expression on both pirates faces.

"I see. We have been following Zoro's directions after all."

"It's just a coincidence."

A rolling its eyes, the King's Torasame quickly ran around the Mammoth Dense. It gave out a loud and threatening roar and the mammoth began to turn in the direction of the greenery out of fear. The tiger-shark then placed itself beside the beast as they headed in a new direction. As they did, they human group talked more.

"Um, I'm Xiao. Thank you for picking us up."

Zoro nodded. "Zoro." He replied back.

"I'm Tony Tony Chopper," the gorilla-reindeer replied cheerfully. "I'm a doctor, so if you feel anything wrong, please tell me immediately."

Xiao nodded. "Okay."

The Giant Sakura Pandeer spoke next, giving out a below in a serene manner. Of course, Chopper understood and responded back, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Bo Lui."

Bo Lui then gave out another pleasant bellow while looking down at their tiger-shark companion below. Chopper heard and then replied, "Oh, and she's Shahra Khan?"

Chopper then called down politely, "Nice to meet you, Ms. Shahra."

The King's Torasame only replied with a curt growl before continuing on with their walk. Of course, Chopper could understand both what she was saying and how, and refrained from speaking to the testy cat further.

Having witnessed this, Xiao looked at the gorilla-reindeer amazed. "You can talk to them?" She said.

Nodding, Chopper replied, "Yeah. Well, I can speak to any kind of animal."

"C-Cool," Xiao said astonished. Then, she moved around in Zoro's lap and looked to the Giant Sakura Pandeer. She then spoke gratefully, "Thank you for everything, Mr. Bo Lui."

Bo Lui instantly hummed out with a smile, showing its empathy to the girl

Xiao then turned and looked down to the Devil's Torasame. "And thank you too, Ms. Shahra!" She called out in gratitude.

The cat didn't reply this time; in fact, she seemed all the more determined to lead the way for the mammoth. Perhaps, the tiger-shark hybrid had a bit of a soft spot after all.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Another update, more facts!**

 **First, the Giant Sakura Pandeer,**

 **1\. A fusion of both of Chopper's animal representation; a reindeer and a panda**

 **2\. The added "Sakura" is for color as well as a reference to Chopper's distinctive relation to them.**

 **3\. The name is based off the Jungle Book bear, Baloo**

 **Next, the Devil's Torasame,**

 **1\. A fusion of both of Zoro's animal representation; a tiger (tora) and a shark (same)**

 **2\. The added "Devil's" is just for flair.**

 **3\. Her name is a reference to a character from another writer, Fangheart, who made an OC Tiger pet/surrogate mother in her Magi: Labyrinth of Magic story.**

 **Until next time!**


	9. Scene 9

**Author's Note: Welcome back! Without further stalling,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 9**

 **The Village of Peace**

We return to the lake as a group of feathery-armed human women lead by an unusual duck with curly ram horns on its head. The bird flew over the water searching over the surface until it finally spotted what it was looking for. Floating on the surface of the water was still Usopp and Sanji. It quickly quacked towards the humans and remained fluttering in the air above them. Quickly, the humans rowed over to the spot. Together the women pulled the men aboard their boats, checked and okayed their condition, and then rowed back to their village. Once docked, the ladies allowed the two men to recover in the boats while they went off to do their daily chores. The mallard stayed behind and watched over the two diligently while also observing the village carefully.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Curlyhorn Mallard. Like a duck takes to water, this avian takes to fighting like a natural. Reaching speeds of Mach 1, its tough horns can smash through boulders."_

After a while, the bird had fallen asleep but one of the humans began to stir. Sanji soon awoke and sat up in the boat, not yet realizing he was in one. He quickly noticed of course and had a quick look around his surroundings. There he found Usopp next to him, face still frozen with fear, and still unconscious. Seeing that his friend was okay, relatively speaking, he looked out to see the village and many of its inhabitants going about their day. He observed critically as he began noticing something off with the village. During so, Usopp began to wake up now. He recovered quickly enough as he sat up, rubbed the back of his head to ease his headache, and soon noticed where he and Sanji were lying at.

"A village?" Usopp spoke surprised. "I didn't think this island could be inhabited."

Silently agreeing with his crewmate, Sanji instead voiced his own concern. "Hey, Usopp," he said coolly, "have you noticed something odd about this village."

Feeling concerned, Usopp gave the village a look. Besides the buildings being normal, he could see the women and children doing chores around the village. Women and children alone. Usopp thus quickly realized what Sanji meant. "Yeah," he said back astonished.

Then, Sanji replied in all seriousness, "This village has no young ladies."

Usopp slapped the man's arm. "Is that what you noticed!" He shouted out belligerent.

"Oh, you're awake." A female voice spoke to the two men. Usopp and Sanji looked over a little as they saw one of the women approach them. She had long black hair and wore a white dress with a purple apron pattern on the front.

Immediately, Usopp greeted the woman. "Um, hi…" He said confused.

While approaching them, the woman soon stopped and looked to the Curlyhorn Mallard sitting atop a pole. Smiling, she began to gently pet the bird. She then began talking to the men, "When Joe came calling for us, we were shocked to find that it was to rescue two outsiders."

Sanji immediately stood up and stepped onto the dock. "Well, we appreciate your help, madam." He stated politely, giving curt bow in gratitude.

The woman gently laughed feeling flattered. "Just call me Vonda." She told the men courteously.

Usopp soon got out of the boat as well. Once so, he asked out to the woman, "So, Vonda," he then pointed to her elbows, "what's up with the feathers?"

Instantly, the long-nosed man was reprimanded by Sanji, by kicking the side of his head. "Don't be rude!" He told his crewmate.

Vonda though dissuaded the idea though. "No, no," she told Sanji, "it's okay, it is something to be curious about."

Both men thus looked at Vonda surprised. Usopp then followed up by asking, "So?"

"Well," Vonda started saying but seemed not able to explain immediately. Nevertheless, she smiled and eventually explained, "It's just something that the people of this village have had for a while."

The men were a bit confused by that statement but did not press further for an explanation. Instead, Sanji now had a question; a very concerning one. "Is there a food shortage going on?"

"Huh?" replied Vonda.

Sanji explained further, "Everyone here looks thin."

"Yeah," Usopp said concerned, "and where are all the men and women to help you all?"

At this question, Vonda frowned. "They're not here." She told them honestly. Before she could explain further though, there came a noise from around the corner.

They and everyone else looked over to a nearby street. Some barrels came rolling down the dirt road and dust was picked up in a rush seemingly without provocation. There seem to be nothing there to cause some hassle; yet, something began to fade into view. Like filling in an outline, there stood a man-sized lizard with large, overgrown shell plates on its back, head, arms, and legs.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Armadilleon. Nature's perfect coward. It not only can blend into its surroundings perfectly, it also has a strong armor shell to protect it from dangers as well."_

The Armadilleon looked clearly to be in a panic as it hissed and jumped pointing to the road it just came down frantically. For the people of this village, they seem to understand and quickly got back to work. The Curlyhorn Mallard took off into the sky. As for Vonda, she gasped out in surprise.

"Oh no!" She then tackled the two men back into the boat. As she kept them down, she quickly whispered to them, "Keep down."

"Hey!" shouted Usopp indignantly. "Why'd you do-"

"Shh!" Vonda said strictly. Then, she peered her head up above the dock.

Curious and concerned as well, Sanji peered up and over as well. Just after the Armadilleon camouflaged itself, something began to show itself from the same street the commotion started. Crawling into view was a large Transponder Snail - as large as a van - that scanned thoroughly its surroundings as it did. When it saw people, it made sure to gaze upon them closely scanning them as well. Once done, it continued on forward as it scanned more of the village and people. As it had its back turned, Usopp sat up a little to see what had caught his crewmate's attention. In seeing the snail instantly, the long-nosed sniper had questions.

"What is that?"

And Vonda answered, "That's one of Lord Shiki's Self-Propelled Visual Transponder Snails…"

Both men gasped. "Shiki?!" They said surprised in recognition.

"Yes," Vonda nodded solemnly, "he has those set up in our village to make sure we obey his rule."

"All the men and the young women, as well as most of our food and medicine, is sent to the Palace for Lord Shiki's purposes. As long as we don't do anything to upset him, we'll be safe."

* * *

After an hour or so of continuous walking, the Mammoth Dense and the King's Torasame brought the group outside the snowy wasteland and into a warm jungle. It was a relief for all - even Zoro except he wouldn't admit it - to be in a more comfortable environment. The tiger-shark thus lead the elephant further through the jungle by following the river. As they did, the cat-fish hybrid took to the shallow water, partly swimming and sometimes walking, as they traveled. Soon though, Zoro and - in Brain Point - Chopper could see a village and lake on the horizon. The little girl Xiao had led them well.

But before they would reach the village, the two pirates also noticed a line of large, greenish trees on their path. They, of course, took no serious interest in these plants until all the animals - Chopper included - got a whiff of something in the air. The first to react was the Mammoth Dense; it reeled back and bucked the group off its back. Luckily, the Giant Sakura Pandeer landed first in the water and unintentionally caught Xiao and Chopper. Zoro was not as lucky but landed in the water as well. The Mammoth Dense, now free of its passengers, immediately turned around and took off fast back towards the snowy wasteland.

Though greatly annoyed, Zoro just glared at the traitorous elephant. As he stood back up, he also asked out, "What was that about?"

Covering his nose, Chopper answered nasally, "There's something in the air."

Like Chopper, Shahra and Bo were also reacting to something in the air. The big bear was covering his nose the same as Chopper, tearing up from how horrid it smelled. Likewise, Shahra kept splashing her snout into the water as she stepped back down the shallow river. Eventually, she stopped having removed herself enough from the infected air.

"Smell?" Zoro repeated before sniffing the air. He could smell nothing though.

Thus, Xiao explained, "It's probably the Daft Green…"

Both Zoro and Chopper repeated the girl in confusion and concern, "'Daft Green'?"

"It's a plant that keeps away animals," Xiao explained further. "But it's also poisonous for us if we stay in the pollen for too long."

Zoro and Chopper grunted out in shock then immediately shot backward until they reached Shahra's spot. They both then shouted out in outrage, "Warn us beforehand then!"

"S-Sorry," Xiao told the two. Then, to make up her blunder, she told the two something else. "But there is an another way…"

Xiao, Bo, and Shahra then lead the two into the jungle. They walked for a little while through the dense foliage until they reached a wide dome of trees. These trees provided cover for a half-buried ruin with a wide entranceway. Xiao beckoned the two to follow them in, and they did. They all ventured into the tilted tunnel and walked downward on a slant. After a few minutes of walking, their eyes adjusting to the darkness, Zoro decided to strike up another question he had in mind.

"So, these two," Zoro said to Ciao, making head gestured to the bear behind him and the fish-tiger in front of them. "On an island full of wild beasts that attack almost immediately, why are these two so calm and willing to aid you?"

Chopper nodded fervently, curious as well. "Yeah!" He said.

"Well," Xiao said contented, "they're like our guardians."

"Really?!" Chopper said amazed.

Xiao nodded. "Yeah, they help us when we need to go outside the circle of Daft Green."

"Whoa!" Chopper said amazed. He then looked at their two animal friend and told them, "You guys are so cool!"

Immediately blushing with embarrassment, Bo Lui gave out a sweet growl and responded back to Chopper; most likely with gratitude. Shahra Khan, however, remained stoic and cool; completely focused on what was ahead of them. Not like she didn't appreciate the praise though.

Soon, the group exited the tunnel; emerging into an open and wide area of grass, fields, and a town not much further. Immediately after exiting, there were two human-sized birds awaiting them. Both looked like falcons in appearance and coloration with long crane-like legs. They kept their eyes on the group already on edge. Luckily, Shahra gave the two a growl and they seem to ease up. As they passed by the birds, Zoro and Chopper looked at them in passing, both impressed and in awe of them. Then, Bo Lui gave a happy wave to the two birds as it passed them by.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Bird of Grace. No bird looks as graceful, or is as dangerous, as the Bird of Grace. It is both elegant in the air and on the ground, which means no prey is safe from its sharp talons."_

After passing the guard birds and some more jungle, the group was soon greeted by a wide open space of farmland. Zoro and Chopper were surprised instantly how peaceful it was as they saw people, like Xiao, working in the fields with a few animals. Two that could be seen; a red rhinoceros with the legs of a bull and three horns, two placed on the side of its head and another on the nose. The next looked like a black fur horse with a long, thick neck like a giraffe and looked to have no head at all. Then, as they passed by the fields, caught sight of a number of little rodents scampering throughout collecting the harvest with the humans. All of them had a pattern of orange, tan white, and gray on their fur in a unique way. All of them were also wearing army helmets and had a different symbol on them. Most of them had a green circle, few had a red cross, and even fewer had a yellow badge. They were helping the people plow the fields and transport their harvest to the city.

 **STRONG Dex, Triple ID Shooter:**

 _"Identification: Tri-horned Rhinoceros. Three horns, three times the danger. This beast has all the speed of bull and the power of a rhino. Nothing is safe when this beast gets angry."_

"Identification: Giraff-a-han. It can spook even itself, while it may appear that this horse creature has no head it actually has sunken into its neck. Its long neck is capable of whipping up chilling winds."

 _"Identification: Sentai Hamster. The motto of these rodents seems to be 'All for one and one for all'. By working together, each given an important job, they can take down any foe."_ _  
_

The pirates were astounded by these sights as they moved further along. Despite not needing to, Zoro and Chopper stuck with the girl while the Shahra and Bo took their leave. Curious, Chopper watched as the two went to aid the other humans. He watched Shahra help harvest while Bo found a group of children and began to play with them. Seeing this, Chopper was quite amazed to see this but was happy to see how these animals helped this village.

As they walked further, they entered the village. Xiao guided them to her house where she was greeted by a woman, her mother. The woman though was shocked to see Zoro and Chopper with her daughter and more so when she saw what was in her daughter's hand. She became angry and began scolding her.

"What were you thinking?" Xiao's mother shouted furiously, giving her daughter disciplinary slap across her cheek. She then continued to berate her, "You know better to go beyond the border!"

Becoming teary-eyed, and rubbing her sore cheek, Xiao attempted to explain to her mother. "I had the Guardians with…"

"Even still!" Xiao's mother rebuked quickly.

"I wanted to save Grandma!" Xiao blurted out in frustration.

The room then became silent. Neither Zoro nor Chopper said anything, understanding that this was not something for them to intrude on. Chopper, on the other hand, was curious about what the girl had meant about saving her "Grandma". Before he could inquire though, a weak cough attracted everyone's attention. Embedded in the wall there was a bed with a someone in it. That person was an elderly woman - looking similar to the younger woman - covered with a few green splotches of rash on her body. Immediately, Chopper recognized that she had symptoms of a disease, but did not recognize which one. He would have to ask later; after the family had calmed down.

"Xiao…" spoke Grandma weakly.

Xiao called back worried, "Grandma!" She then rushed over to the woman, lying in a bed built into the wall.

"I know your heart was in the right place, my dear," Grandma said softly, smiling as well. "But please, don't risk your life for me please."

"B-But…!" Xiao said confused and crying. "You're dying…"

Unable to speak, but remained smiling despite being a bit sadly, Grandma hugged her granddaughter as she began to cry. Of course, as she comforted, she began to cry a little herself.

Xiao's mother turned to Zoro. As the man leaned against the wall stoically, she gave her gratitude to him. "Thank you for looking after my daughter." She said to the man, giving him a bow in appreciation.

Zoro just shrugged. "We just happened to run into her." He stated coolly, "She helped us out of an annoying situation."

Chopper spoke up. "Um," he said, stepping forward. "If I can help, I am a doctor."

Xiao's mother looked down at the talking reindeer surprised. She hadn't even expected the little reindeer to be a doctor either. Yet, if he was telling the truth… "Do you think you can help my mother?" She asked hopefully.

"I'll try." Chopper told her determinedly. He then asked, "But it would help if you can tell me what disease it?"

"We call it Daft," Xiao's mother explained. "It's caused by inhaling too much pollen from a tree we call Daft Green. It causes stiffness in the area covered in green, and eventually, they'll cease to move at all."

Hearing this, Chopper was surprised by the information. He then asked, "Then, do you have a cure for it?"

Xiao looked at the reindeer and nodded fervently. "Yeah," she said before holding up the plant she had carried this whole time. "This plant!"

"It's called IQ," Xiao's mother told the doctor, "but we need more than just one."

"Aren't there more?" asked Chopper concerned.

Ever shook her head. "No. Nearly every plant was taken by Lord Shiki's men."

Instantly, both Chopper and Zoro reacted in surprise. "Shiki?!" They said in unison.

"Yes. Before he came, we were at peace with both the animals and the plants on this island. Then, 22 years ago, that man came and changed everything. We've been living in a nightmare ever since."

Xiao then spoke up, crying in frustration. "I wish they would just leave already," she said honestly. "Leave to their 'Sea of Stratagems'."

Zoro and Chopper were confused by the little girl's comment. It also concerned them; what was it that Shiki was planning. Regardless, they had other matters to worry about. Chopper quickly apologized to the family; explaining clearly that without more medical knowledge of the disease, he could make things worst for Grandma. They accepted this and thanked him regardless for his service. After thanking the family for their hospitality, the two of them left. Once outside though, they didn't go far as they both soon sat down on the steps outside the family's house.

Despite feeling sad not to be able to help the family, Chopper was feeling more worried over something else. "I hope everyone's doing okay…" He said hopefully.

"They'll be fine," Zoro stated confidently. He then let out a yawn as he relaxed in his spot. "We'll search for them later."

Chopper nodded. "Okay," he said before relaxing. He then breathed out in relaxation, "A break would be nice…"

* * *

Around the same time, Usopp and Sanji were walking down a road through the village. Both of them trudging forward despite how exhausted they both were. Neither one cared where they were heading to, they just wanted a spot to rest.

"It's been far too long since we've had a break." Sanji moaned out tiredly.

Usopp agree wholeheartedly, and equally burnt out. "You're telling me…" He said.

Then, both men finally decided to rest. Coming across some stairs, they both decided silently took a seat on two different steps. As they were both so tired, neither one of them noticed that they were not alone on these steps. Just above them was Zoro and Chopper, also resting. It took a few moments for any of them to notice, but the first to do so were Zoro and Sanji. Obviously, their reaction to each other was less than pleased.

"Oh, it's only you," said both men tiredly.

Hearing them, Usopp and Chopper looked at the other. Immediately, Chopper cheered out in delight with newfound - but most likely temporary - energy, "Sanji! Usopp!" He then rushed down the stairs to Usopp.

"Ch-Chopper!" The sniper called out in surprise but joy. He immediately caught the excited reindeer and they both laughed out in joy of their reunion.

Neither Sanji or Zoro moved from their spot, but they were smiling. Out of sight of either of them and their cheerful crewmates. Even if they usually disliked each other, they felt it good that they had made it here together to this peaceful place. Still, their thoughts were also drawn to where the others could be; most importantly, Nami. And even more seriously; the kids.

But for now, they could relax.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Another update, more facts!**

 **First, the Curlyhorn Mallard,**

 **1\. A fusion of both of Sanji's animal representation; a duck and a ram**

 **2\. This animal has a name, Joe. Do you get it? "Curly Joe", the name for one of the Three Stooges.**

 **Next, the Armadilleon,**

 **1\. A fusion of both of Usopp's animal representation; an armadillo and a chameleon.**

 **Then comes the Bird of Grace,**

 **1\. A fusion of both of Robin's animal representation; a crane and a falcon.**

 **2\. Its name is based on the "Bird of Paradise"**

 **Followed up with the Tri-Horned Rhinoceros,**

 **1\. A fusion of both of Franky's animal representation; a rhino and a bull**

 **Let's not forget the Giraff-a-han,**

 **1\. A fusion of both of Brook's animal representation; a horse and a giraffe**

 **2\. Giving it an "undead" look, I choose the mythical Dullahan as both its base appearance and part of the name.**

 **3\. It actually does have a head, its just very flat**

 **Finally, Sentai Hamsters**

 **1\. Hamsters are the official animal representation for Mika**

 **2\. "Sentai" means "group" or "squadron"**

 **3\. These beasts have two different references; Hamtaro and Super Sentai/Power Rangers**

 **There's also a new fact: "Vonda" is a name given to the black hair lady Sanji and Usopp meet. She originally didn't have a name, so I gave her one. It has special meaning to me, don't worry about why. Kay!**

 **Until next time!**


	10. Scene 10

**Author's Note: Welcome back! Without further stalling,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 10**

 **Family Reunion**

We return back to Shiki's palace, and more specifically the pool room. Inside was still Nami, the weird electric bird creature, and the Booted Mynx. The Booted Mynx now recovered from its injuries from its earlier attack. At this point though, they were not the only ones here. There was also a Self-propelled Video Transponder Snail with them, but it was preoccupied with a meal of leaves picked from one of the trees in the room. As for Nami and the animals, they had sat out of sight of the snail and had been planning.

"Are you guys ready?" Nami asked, greatly determined to succeed.

Both the bird and the cat nodded. They too were determined to escape.

Nami nodded back to them. She soon stood up and walked over to the lounge chair nearby. On it was a backpack which she quickly grabbed. Before moving again, she looked over at the snail to check on it. Seeing that it was still eating, Nami hand gestured to the animals to follow. Cautiously, the bird and cat sneaked over to Nami and then sneaked further. They carefully entered the pool, careful not to make any noise, and silently swam across the pool. Then, once they reached a spot in the pool, Nami and the Booted Mynx dived down. The bird waited in the water for a few moments before the woman and cat came right back up, gasping for air. Immediately, they all looked back at the snail; and again, it remained eating its meal. Nami thus sighed in relief.

"Okay," Nami said before turning to her companions. With determination, she told them, "Alright, let's go!"

Both animals nodded, and all three dived down into the water. After a minute of time passing, they had not returned.

They had escaped!

* * *

As the group's escape commenced, there was much happening on the island. On one of the few islands actually in the ocean, there was a port with every dock occupied with pirate ships. Literal shiploads of pirates went ashore in an orderly procession, and in fashionable and orderly clothing, into the island. They then proceeded up towards the summit of the island, walking on pathways created on the cliffside of this island. All this happened and seen through the eyes of many Video Transponder Snails - or "Cameko" - that psychically sent the images to the main snail - a "Proko" - located in the main room of Shiki's palace. Here, many men surveilled the screens making sure everything was in order, and report any disturbances. As they did this, Shiki and Scarlet were also in the room as well. Shiki was looking at some pictures of a small sailboat - Ace's Striker - and the Jolly Roger it flew by; Whitebeard's Jolly Roger. This got Shiki looking very concerned.

"Is this Newgate's doing?" Shiki asked rhetorically.

In his mind, Shiki recalled back twenty-two years ago. When he had gotten out of Impel Down, and found his crew and learned of this place, he had gone to Whitebeard to try and convince him to join his cause. Though they shared drinks and reminisced over the past, Edward Newgate had refused his offer. Choosing instead to continue with his usual routine rather than rule the world. It had displeased Shiki, but he respected the man's decision as someone of the same generation of pirates as him. Not only that, but he was sure the man had no intention of stopping his plan either. So, learning that one of Whitebeard's crewmates was on his island somewhere was troubling.

"What are you up to?"

From the screens, a man approached Shiki cautiously. He then spoke, "Um, Lord Shiki…"

Breaking from his thoughts, Shiki looked at the man with slight annoyance. "Yeah? What is it?" He asked.

"The pirate captains and their crews are arriving as we speak," the man explained nervously, "and they are gathering as you requested."

Shiki began to smile. "Good," he said now pleased. He then gave orders to the man, "Make sure all the preparations are ready for after the meeting."

"Yes, sir." The man said obediently.

As the man rushed off, Shiki turned and looked at one the screens. Seeing the hundreds of men marching up to his 'resort' brought him into a jolly mood. "So, everything is finally coming together at last..." He said eagerly.

Then, he turned to one of his men. "You," he said singling the man out, "release one of the men from the village."

Surprised, the man asked, "Are you sure, Boss?"

"Yeah," Shiki said with a devious grin. "It's only natural to give them hope before their fall in despair."

The man, now a bit afraid, nodded obediently and took off to perform the task. As he left, Indigo soon entered the room. His pooting shoes immediately grabbing the attention of Shiki. Once he had been noticed, Indigo stopped moving and making that noise. He then began moving around, making gestures with his hands and arms and contorted his body in weird positions. Shiki, as well as the whole room, watched on confused.

"What is it?" asked Shiki.

Indigo then finally spoke, "Captain Shiki!"

Everyone was shocked. "You could talk?!" They all shouted in unison.

Indigo continued. "Bad news, Captain! That girl escaped!"

"What!" shouted Shiki, more shocked.

"Yes, it seems she realized that the pool is connected to the sea."

Shiki felt anger for a moment but then smiled as he was impressed by the woman's action. "So, she got us. Impressive," he said, "but we can't let her get away."

The man turned and shouted to the men on the communications devices. "Inform all our networks!" he commanded determinedly loud, "Find her!"

"Yes, sir!" The men said obediently.

* * *

From the pool, Nami and her animal companions had removed the grate from the pool and swam straight down into the shaft. Swimming with the flow of water, the group sped through the water quickly. Adding to their speed, the unusual bird kicked and moved his long tail as Nami and the Booted Mynx held on around its neck. They all swam down through the darkness for a whole minute before finally exiting the shaft. Now, they were in the sea; the sea that hugged and floated along the coast of the floating island. The bird did not stop after that, it kept swimming in a slant and downward direction until finally splashing out of the water.

Immediately, the group together gasped out for air as the soared downwards. Despite being able to fly, the bird seemed not to be able to at the moment. Most likely because it had one human and one very big cat hanging on both sides of its body covering its wings. Thus, they descended down to one of the lower floating islands, and right into a lake atop of a mountain. Or perhaps a volcano by how it formed a convenient lake. They splashed down into the deep blue water, and immediately, the attracted the attention of many. From the deep, four aquatic creatures rose from the deep. One was a giant bug like a water beetle with a design on its back similar to a Union Jack symbol on its shell. Another a large and vicious sea turtle with large spikes protruding from its shell. Next was a large and ugly fish. Finally, there was a long bug creature with many small fins propelling it and an underbite with long, sharp fangs. All of them quickly noticed the group in the water and began swiftly swimming up to them.

 **STRONG Dex, the Quadrumvirate:**

 _"Identification: Oh Umi Gappa. This aquatic bug skims the watery bottoms to surprise attack anything floating above it. It is said to have a fondness though for cucumbers."_

 _"Identification: Maou Game. It can break an entire galleon with its tough, spiky shell. It was a rough attitude and always sets to do more harm than good."_

 _"Identification: Gyoriiza. Not the prettiest fish in the sea, but definitely one that'll fight tooth and fin to survive. It can often be found chasing after sharks!"_

 _"Identification: King Umi Mukade. King of the bottom-dwellers, this centipede-like bug will even attack creatures swimming out in the open. Its powerful under jaw can crack bones."_

Seeing Nami's group as easy prey, the four aquatic beasts prepared to snatch as much as they could before any of the others could. As they surrounded the group, the bird was the only one of his group to notice their presence. Immediately, the bird began to panic, and in doing so, electrocuted everyone in the water. The whole lake glowed with yellow electricity until it ceased altogether. Moments later, the bodies of the beasts floated up to the surface; all unconscious. Not only them but Nami and the Booted Mynx too floated up and were unconscious. Finally, the bird itself surfaced, completely unharmed, and looked around with amazement. Then, it saw its friends as they were and began freaking out.

The Bird immediately took flight and grabbed the human and the feline and carried them over to the inner edge of the crater. It placed them gently on the ground and waited for them to awaken. Unfortunately, after a minute or two, neither was waking up. The bird began to worry and paced around them wondering what to do. Then, it had an idea. Stopping in between both of its companions, it quickly began pecking upon their foreheads furiously.

And in a few moments… "Stop that!" Nami shouted, and the Booted Mynx replicated, in irritation as they awoke. Punching the bird also in their anger.

Despite being punched, the bird called out in joy in seeing its two friends alive and well. It flew quickly up to them and hugged them both, crying out in delight. Though she had initially been annoyed with the bird, both Nami and the Booted Mynx forgave the bird its transgression.

"Alright, alright," Nami voiced embarrassed as she pushed the bird off her. As the bird ceased hugging, the woman then warmly replied to the bird in gratitude, "Though a little extreme, thanks for the save."

Happy, the bird chirped out and gave the woman a salute, accepting her appreciation.

Nami smiled at the bird, but then began to look around at her surroundings. "Where are we anyway?" she asked concerned.

Both the bird and the cat were just as curious to their new location. Together, they traveled up further towards the outer edge with the bird flying there naturally. The bird waited and watched as it' companions soon reached his spot. Then, all together, they began looking out from the top of the crater, searching for anything distinguishable. For the animals, they could hardly tell. For Nami on the other hand, she was surprised when she located something down at the base of the volcano.

"The Thousand Sunny!" Nami shouted out happily.

Nami was astonished to see her ship was well and unharmed just a mile or so away. To see her home was such a great relief for her and a welcomed sight. She only wished her crew was there to meet her. Especially her husband and daughter.

Then, there came a rustling in the jungle around the Sunny. The group looked to the left of the ship and something large came galloping out. To Nami's surprise, it was a large two-headed dog being ridden by two humans. Even more surprising though, she recognized the two; one of whom she had never expected to see.

"Akio? Ace?!" Nami said.

Not noticing the woman, Ace and Akio were both exhausted and astonished. "It's the Sunny!" Akio shouted out astounded.

"Wait," Ace said, now looking at the kid quizzically. "Is your crew…"

Then, on the other side of the Sunny, more rustling came from the jungle. This time, only a person ran out of the foliage. Nami's eyes widen in disbelief when she recognized the person; or actually, persons. It was Luffy, and he was carrying Mika on his shoulders. While Nami was completely speechless at the coincidence, father and daughter were astonished to find the Thousand Sunny.

"Mika!" Luffy shouted cheerfully. "It's the Sunny!"

"Yeah!" Mika replied amazed. Then, instantly, Mika turned her head - her eyes glowing red for a moment before ceasing their glow - and saw her mother up the mountain. Her eyes widen, tears of joy formed from the bottom of her eyes, and she rejoiced.

"Mama!"

Nearly crying herself in joy, Nami smiled emotionally. "Mika! Luffy!" She called out in exaltation.

Luffy, as well as Akio and Ace, turned upon hearing the woman. While both Ace and Akio were surprised to see the orange-haired woman here, Luffy was speechless upon seeing his wife. Then, he began grinning with jubilation. "Nami!" He shouted before running straight for her.

Without a moment's hesitation, Nami took off running as well. Of course, heading right down the gentle slope of the volcano to her husband and daughter. Nothing was going to stop her from reuniting with her precious family.

Except maybe what was to come next.

From the left, where Akio and Ace came from, the Natsu Salamander shot forth from the jungle attempting to eat them and their ride. Neither Ace or Akio had noticed the beast coming for them, being too distracted by the shouts from the others. Luckily, Bark-Bite were able to dodge the chomping jaw and then took off at a gallop up the mountain slope. At the same time, several beasts on the right side emerged, having been chasing Luffy and Mika. The first was a group of three large scorpions; one dark red leading the pack, a dark purple one with sharp pincers and stinger, and lastly a dark green bug with two stingers on its tail. On top of each of them, the Sentai Hamsters were attacking them fruitlessly, After this group of arachnid came a large, chubby lion with small legs. It roared out as it chased after the scorpions and the humans. Much like the hamsters, the Paw-tailed Sarokami was attacking the lion, and not having much effect on it as well. Regardless, the companion animals attempted to stop the beasts.

 **STRONG Dex, Double Creature Feature:**

 _"Identification: Black Brothers. These arachnids are always born in groups of at least three. They form a brotherly bond that'll be key for hunting prey."_

 _"Identification: Fat Lion: Just because it looks slow, doesn't mean it is. Though retired from being the 'King of the Jungle', this beast is still fearsome."_

Making it a quarter of the way down, Nami immediately stopped in shock. Not only her, the Booted Mynx and the bird stopped as well. The cat looked utterly shocked to see so many beasts coming towards them.

As he ran, doing so cheerfully despite the number of deadly beast behind him, Luffy called out to his wife. "Nami!" he said. "Good job escaping that creep!"

Hearing Luffy, Ace looked on his left to see his brother. "Luffy?!" He shouted surprised.

In hearing Ace, while still running, Luffy looked on his right. "Ace?" He said also surprised.

Akio soon joined in. "Mika!" he shouted. "Captain!"

"Akio!" Mika called out cheerfully.

Ace looked at Akio, now confused. "Mika?" He repeated.

Finally, Nami began shouting, specifically to Luffy and Ace. "You guys!" She yelled out furiously, pointing at the beasts behind them. "Get rid of those!"

Before getting a response from them, the bird suddenly flew past Nami. As they saw the bird coming, Bite-Bark and Luffy split away to let the bird through. Once so, the bird passed them and began lighting up with electricity. Then, as soon as it was close enough, it released its stored electricity upon the all the animals. In seeing the flash of light, Luffy and Bite-Bark turned around to see what happened. To all's surprise, the single bird and completely defeated all the animals. The bird even chirped loudly in the victory over its triumph over the beasts, despite not realizing that it had also taken out those that had been helping.

"Whoa! That's…" Luffy was about to exclaim how cool the scene was when his daughter suddenly slipped off his shoulders. He looked back to see his daughter running further ahead of him. To his wife.

Mika called out happily, "Mama!"

In response, Nami held her arms out and bent down slightly. She then captured the young girl in her arms and hugged her tightly. "Mika," Nami said relievedly.

Luffy, of course, smiled contently at the scene.

With the danger defeated, Ace and Akio dismounted Bark-Bite. Both of them looked at the two females with different reactions; Akio being happy that Nami was safe and back with Mika and Ace confused and baffled. Thus, to get an answer, Ace turned to Luffy.

"Um, Luffy," Ace spoke sounding confused. "What's going on?"

Luffy looked at his big brother and flashed him a grin. "In a minute," he told him before walking forward.

While hugging her precious daughter, Nami was quick to notice Luffy approaching them. Knowing what was to come, and wanting it herself, Nami finished hugging Mika and stood up. Husband and wife soon united as they tightly held each other. Then, loosen up just a little, Nami boldly kissed the man. Luffy was surprised, but instinct took over returning her affections with his own by kissing back. Neither of them cared to show their passion in front of the kids - Mika was just confused while Akio blushed and covered his eyes - or to Ace, who was blushing a bit but regardlessly impressed by his little brother's display. Luffy and Nami's kiss lasted for a (hot) minute before finally, the two stopped. They both stared into each other's eyes for a moment before they began smiling.

Nami then spoke, "How'd you even find me?"

"Mika said you'd be this way," Luffy stated cheerily.

Mika nodded. "Yeah," she said happily. "I just knew you were somewhere over here."

Looking at her daughter, Nami was a bit confused as to how her daughter knew this. Yet, at this moment, she didn't really care. She was back with her family, and her friends couldn't be far from being found next.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ya know, I never knew about the whole "Proko" and "Cameko" thing about video Transponder Snails until doing this project again.**

 **Ja Ne!**


	11. Scene 11

**Author's Note: Welcome back! Now on with the show! Without further stalling,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 11**

 **Truth of the Matter**

"No way," Ace said in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me."

"No, I'm serious," Luffy replied back.

Ace then became angry."I can't believe he…" He couldn't say another word before he punched the ground to let out his frustration.

The two men were currently sitting around a fire while cooking the meat from one of the Black Brothers. Not only them but the kids and animals sat around the fire as well. Akio ate the scorpion meat quite willingly while Mika looked at her food with disgust. He tried to persuade his friend to try the meat, but Mika remained stubbornly against eating it. She had then taken off to hang with her mother and not eat the gross food. There also with them as well was Bite-Bark and the yellow bird, both eating the scorpion meat. They both seem to like the meal as well. Finally, Nami was nearby as well. She was changing her clothes behind a rock while also leaving her stuff to hang and dry. The outfit she chose, having gotten them off the Thousand Sunny nearby, was a skin-tight, string, crop top with red-yellow-green vertical stripes. She also decided to wear incredibly short shorts. Finally, after tying her hair into twin pigtails, she finished by putting on her ringlets and stepped out to join the group. Bringing Mika along with her.

"You know," Ace said angry, "the next time I see Gramps, I'm going to kick his-"

"Ah-ah," Nami said quickly, stopping her brother-in-law. As she walked up to the group, she rubbed her daughter's head affectionately. She then stated clearly for Ace, "No cursing in front of the kids, Brother."

Ace chuckled, though feeling a bit nervous. "Heh, 'Brother', huh." He said amusedly. Then, he apologized, "My bad, 'Sis'."

Mika then looked up at her mother. "Mama?" she asked curiously. "Why did you call Mr. Ace 'brother'?"

"Because Mika," Nami said bending down to Mika's height. "Mr. Ace here is your father's brother which makes him my brother by our marriage and your uncle."

"Oh," Mika said understanding.

Akio suddenly choked on food after hearing Nami's explanation. "What?!" he said surprised. "A member of Whitebeard's crew is related to my captain and friend."

"Yeah," Nami said impressed. "Didn't know that you would know about Whitebeard though."

Ace laughed out loud. "Yeah," he said jollily. "Gave me quite a run because of it."

Putting her food aside, Mika stood up and walked over to Ace with a smile on her face. Once in front of the man, she surprised him by hugging him. "Nice to meet you, Uncle Ace," she said cheerfully.

Immediately, Ace felt awkward. He had said once that he was not all that great with kids. That was when Mika was just a baby, now he was dealing with an actual child; he's niece no less. And yet, he didn't know how to respond back.

Watching this, neither Luffy nor Nami could hide their amusement of this scene. Sending his awkwardness, Nami decided to help her hapless brother-in-law out. "Just hug her back," she told the man, "she doesn't bite."

"Um, right," Ace said. He then cautiously wrapped his arms around the girl, giving her the lightest of embraces.

Luffy and Nami laughed lightly at the display. Even Akio chuckled a little seeing the member of the feared Whitebeard crew look so flustered with a girl. Ace and Mika hugged for a little while longer before finally, Mika released her uncle from her arms. Though he had been awkward, Ace had found himself enjoying the interaction with his niece. He showed this by smiling at the girl, who in returned beamed up at him with a familiar grin he had often seen on Luffy.

Mika then returned to her seat. She sat down, noticed the pleading look in the bird's face, and feed the bird her piece of scorpion meat. It happily accepted the meal, and once it finished eating it affectionately nuzzled the girl's face. Mika instantly giggled as she accepted the bird's affections.

Then, Ace decided he needed to ask an important question. "So, where is the rest of your crew, Luffy?" he asked.

Grabbing a piece of scorpion meat, Luffy answered, "They're around." He then took a bite of the meat.

Nami then answered more clearly, "They're probably lost on this island too."

"How did that happen?" Ace asked further.

Beginning to chew angrily, Luffy spoke out, "It was that Shiki guy." He then swallowed his food and explained further, "And he kidnapped Nami."

Ace looked at his brother surprised. "You've met Shiki," he said concerned.

"You know about Shiki?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," Ace said nodded, "Pops mentioned him from time to time. Shiki's a pirate from back in the heyday of Pop's and Gramp's time, and an ambitious one at that."

"So, he's old?" Mika said curiously.

The comment made Ace chuckle. "You're not wrong," he admitted amusedly.

Akio looked at Mika incredulously. "That's what you got at of that," he said. The girl responded back by sticking her tongue out at him.

Ace continued, "But he's a tough one as well. He's even fought the Pirate King a few times."

That caught Luffy's attention. "Wow! Seriously?!" he shouted amazed. "He's fought your pops?!"

"Yeah," Ace said with a nod.

"Luffy," Nami said shrewdly. "Don't be…" While she was about to reprimand her husband for being so easily excited, she quickly made a realization. One that made her shout, "What?!"

Luffy asked out confused, "Nami?"

"Are you saying Ace's father is the legendary pirate Gold Roger?!"

"Yeah," Luffy admitted.

"How?!"

Ace let out a sigh. "It's a long story," he explained, "but all that's important is that I owe everything to my mother and that's that."

"Whoa…" Mika and Akio said amazed.

Nami looked at Luffy. "Why'd you never mention this before?" she asked.

Giving her a shrug, Luffy told her, "It wasn't that important." He then smiled and explained, "Ace is Ace, not the Gold Roger."

With that kind of logic, Nami couldn't fault her husband. Those kind of details weren't important to him, and she knew they shouldn't be important to her. After all, he was her brother-in-law now.

"Let's get back on topic," Ace said, full of concern. "How'd you guys get mixed up with Shiki?"

Agreeing with Ace, Nami told him with an angry frown. "We helped the jerk out of a storm, that's how," she told him disgruntled.

"And he offered to take us to the East Blue," Luffy added on.

While arching his brow with interest, Ace asked, "Why the East Blue?"

"You didn't hear?" Nami asked surprised. Once Ace responded by shaking his head, she then explained, "Something is attacking villages in the East Blue, so we were going to go back and protect our homes."

"I see," Ace said understanding. Still, he there was still something confusing about their story. He thus asked out, "Then why did Shiki offer to help only to abandon you guys and take Nami."

Thinking for a moment, Nami had a thought. "I don't know about the first part," she explained, "but I can bet he wanted me for my skill in predicting the weather."

Ace nodded. "That is a pretty useful skill, especially when traveling through the unpredictable weather in the Grand Line, and especially for a man known as the 'Flying Pirate'." He stated knowledgeable.

As Luffy finished off the rest of the scorpion meat, he had then made his decision. He stood up and proclaimed, "Well, now that we have Nami back, we can focus on getting everyone else back so we can head to the East Blue."

"Yeah!" cheered Mika and Akio.

"Luffy!" Nami shouted out angrily. "What about Shiki?"

"If we run into him," Luffy said grinning as he pounded his fist into his hand determinedly, "then I'll kick his butt."

Nami sighed but smiled. "Of course," she admittedly knowingly.

Mika cheered out again, "Yeah!" She then added, "My dad's the best!"

Chuckling, Ace spoke, "Geesh, my little brother is such a hassle." He then stood up and proclaimed his intention, "I better stick around to make sure you don't disappoint my favorite niece."

Again, Mika cheered out with glee, "Yeah! Uncle Ace is coming with us!"

"Cool," Luffy said happily.

As everyone prepared to leave, Mika turned to the animals. "What about the doggy and Biri?" she asked out curious. "Can they come too?"

Nami looked at her daughter confused. "Biri?" she questioned.

Mika nodded excitedly. "Yeah." she said before looking at the bird, "because he makes a 'biri' sound when he goes zap!"

 **STRONG Dex, update:** _"Identification: Biri. This odd bird is a bit finicky but can be awfully brave. When threatened this bird will produce a shocking amount of electricity to defeat its opponents."_

Before Nami could answer, Luffy did so first. "Yeah, sure," he stated cheerfully. Then, as Nami gave him a disapproving look, he decided to reiterate. "I-I mean," he said nervously, "if they want to come…"

Immediately, both dogs barked out joyfully. Both heads in clear agreement to stick around these people. The then showed their affection by licking Akio's face, which the boy both enjoyed and was disgusted by it. The bird, now named Biri, looked equally ready to follow the group. After all, the big female had defended him, helped him escape, and feed him. He felt fully indebted to the group. Plus, he had been really warming up to the little girl.

Despite her obvious disapproval, Nami relented when seeing how the animals behaved around the children. "Fine," she stated before becoming stern. "But no promises on keeping them."

"Aw," whined Mika.

Akio frowned also. He had the same thought for Bite-Bark.

Ace soon smothered the fire. Once done, he turned to Luffy and asked, "So, which direction should we go?"

After finishing the rest of the meat in one gulp, Luffy chewed and swallowed quickly. He then responded with a cheerful smile, "No idea!"

Sighing, Ace admitted in realization, "Of course…"

"Hey, Mika," Luffy spoke curiously. "You were pretty good finding Mama and the Sunny, do you think you can find the others?"

Mika looked at her father confused. "Um," she said unsurely.

Luffy asked curiously, "Mika?"

"I don't know," Mika admitted confusedly. She tried to explain, "I just...knew!"

Nami looked down at her daughter confused. "That doesn't really make much sense," she told the girl.

"She was probably just lucky," Akio stated.

Feeling bad, Mika apologized. "I'm sorry," she said downtrodden.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Luffy said reassuring his daughter cheerfully. He gave the girl a hearty pat on her back and stood up. He then stated, "We'll find everyone eventually."

Ace chuckled. "Yeah," he said optimistic, "you guys seem to make a lot of noise anyway, I bet we'll find them soon enough."

"Yeah!" Luffy then declared, "Let's go!"

Immediately, the group began to move. While the boy and men grabbed their stuff, Nami walked up next to daughter along with their two animal companions. Once next to her, Nami felt Mika's hand on her shirt. Quickly, she looked down at her little girl concerned. She was quick to notice that her girl was still feeling down. So, like any mother, she comforted the girl.

"Hey," Nami said to Mika nicely, "don't worry about it, okay?"

The young girl then looked at her mother, frowning sadly and innocently. "I really missed you, Mama," she admitted.

"Aw, Mika," Nami said sorrowfully. She then hugged the girl and reassured her, "We'll find them, for sure."

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere else on Merveille, the Mature Trio - Robin, Franky, and Brook - had left the autumn land or ruins and lake to now be in a desert. It was a great, big area with terrible dry heat that could take some time without proper preparations. Luckily, Franky had made "alternative" preparations. Thanks to the upgrades he made onto a large crayfish, he and his companions now traveled through the desert on a motorcycle. Together, they traveled through this desert environment at top speed looking for their crew or even some sort of civilization. It hadn't been long though for them to spot something luckily. Coming up ahead of them, there was a large town built on a plateau. Every human became relieved at the sight of the town.

"We finally found civilization," Brook commented in cheer. Then, he patted the crayfish and spoke to Franky, "You've really outdone yourself, Mr. Franky, with this crayfish."

Grinning proudly, Franky told the skeleton, "Don't just call it a 'crayfish', call it the Crawly Davidson!"

"Ah, yes," Brook said amusedly. He then sang out, "Crawly Davidson! Crawly Davidson! La la la Crawly Davidson!"

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Crawly Davidson. A crayfish modified by Franky, it goes from speedy water-dweller to high-speed ride. Reaching speeds of 50 mph, this crustacean can outrun most predators now."_

While amused by her crewmates antics, Robin kept her eyes ahead. As such, she noticed an unusual line of trees between them and the town.

When the group got close enough, the crayfish picked up an awful scent. Immediately, it reacted negatively to the smell. It stopped on its own, using its newly acquired brakes, that surprised the driver and his passengers. The crayfish then hopped back placing more distance between it and the scent. After only a few hops, it stopped and calmed down. Regardless, its riders were not happy with its sudden action.

"My word," Brook commented in distress. "I nearly bit my tongue, but I have no tongue since I'm dead."

Ignoring the joke, Franky got off his creation. Angrily, he berated the crayfish, "Why'd you do that!" He then bopped the animal vehicle on its head as punishment.

Robin got off the crayfish next followed by Brook. Observantly, she noticed that the crayfish was reacting to something. "It's shaking," she explained curiously.

"Why would it be shaking?" asked Brook concerned.

Stubbornly, Franky sat back on the crayfish. He then ordered, "Come on, go forward!" He attempted to get the motorcycle beast moving. Unfortunately, it refused adamantly; thus, Franky gave up on it.

"Well," Franky told the others, "looks like it doesn't want to go forward, looks like we're walkin' from here on."

"Very well," Brook said pleasantly. He then followed behind the cyborg.

As she followed them, Robin observed as the crayfish motorcycle ran off. Curious, she looked at the only thing that had changed since they had entered the desert; the trees. Neither Franky or Brook seem to pay much attention to them as they passed the plants by, but Robin had some interest. She wondered if there was a connection between how their ride acted and the trees that seem strategically planted around the town. It was something she would have to figure out later as she moved on to follow her crewmates


	12. Scene 12

**Author's Note: Welcome back! Now on with the show! Without further stalling,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 12**

 **This Side of Paradise**

Back now with the Monkey D. Family and company, they had already traveled some distance away from where the Thousand Sunny stood at the base of the volcano. They had no idea of where they were going, but they weren't worried. They would figure something out along the way. Fortunately, even strangely, the number of encounters with the beasts of Merveille had drastically cut done to none making traveling a breeze.

At this moment, we find Luffy, Akio, and Ace riding on Bite-Bark through the jungle. Their path forged by the large body of the two-headed canine. While the dog beast mowed down foliage, the men and boy on his back searched through the trees for anyone or thing. For the moment, unfortunately, all they could see was trees. Ace and Akio still looked out, just in case they could find something. Strangely, Luffy was looking surprisingly grumpy while sitting in the back. While he sat there, wearing an expressively grumpy face, he looked up and through the canopy to see the sky. Not only the sky but also something flying high above them.

"Wahoo!"

Above the dense foliage, Biri flew above the canopy with Mika, the one shouting, and Nami on his back. Mother and child sat comfortably as the wind blew through their hair and the sight unobstructed by the jungle. They had taken to the sky to help in the search. Of course, one couldn't just hop onto a bird large enough to carry two people and not have some fun.

Thus, that was why Luffy was so grumpy. "I wanted to ride on Biri…" Luffy mumbled sourly.

Overhearing him, Ace rolled his eyes. "You're the one that let them," Ace stated good-naturedly. He then added, "Of course, only after they sweet talked you into it."

Luffy grumbled, "Shuddup." He then crossed his arms and turned away from his brother. Though he could hear his brother chuckling, Luffy too was actually smiling as he eyed up to the sky and his family flying. He did want to ride the bird, he was more than happy to see his two best girls together and happy.

Speaking of, though she was enjoying her time flying with her daughter, Nami was still concerned looking for their missing crewmates. So far, there was only the jungle and the floating islands around them to see. Not a clue anywhere. Still, as long as her daughter was enjoying herself, she believed that things would be fine.

Interestingly, as Nami looked around in search, Mika had luckily caught sight of something off in the distance. As Biri flew further ahead, flying over from jungle to plains, Mika saw a lake not too far away. That, and a village. "There's a village!" Mika called out astounded.

Nami looked down at her daughter and then looked outwards. "What?" she said surprised. As her daughter pointed out, Nami saw it immediately. She then began to smile and spoke out happily, "Great work, Mika!"

Mika responded back with a grin and giggle, happy to be complimented.

Patting Biri's head to get his attention, Nami asked the bird, "Fly us back to Luffy and the others, Biri."

The bird nodded and was about to turn around to do so.

Unfortunately, before he could do so, he had flown a little too ahead of the group. Without realizing it, he had flown in a breeze of green pollen. The moment he caught a whiff of the green dust, he immediately reacted negatively. He squawked out in disgust and began to flusteredly flutter about in panic. His riders, nearly caught unprepared, held onto the bird desperately; lest they fall off. They also screamed out in shock as Biri left the area of green pollen.

Down below, the ground group heard the sky group's screams and immediately hurried to reach them. As they left the jungle, they saw Biri fly off in the opposite direction of them. Before they could call out to them, Bite-Bark suddenly stopped and bucked back, throwing off everyone. Both heads whined out in disgust and irritation as he then stepped back and away from the same green pollen that Biri had sniffed. They then began rubbing their noses, together, trying to get rid of the pollen. As they did not know of this, the human adults got pretty mad by the dog's action.

"What the hell was that for?!" shouted Ace and Luffy furiously.

Concerned for the dog, Akio forgot his own discomfort and rushed over to Bite-Bark. Noticing how the canine was acting, he asked out worriedly, "What's wrong Bite? Bark?"

Both heads whined out in pain. Immediately, Akio began stroking the heads of Bite and Bark attempting to comfort them. It worked as the two heads calmed down and happily began panting.

Seeing this, Ace and Luffy calmed down and recovered. It clearly wasn't the canine's fault. Still, both wondered what had happened to cause the dog to react in such a way. More concerning, however, was what had happened to Nami, Mika, and Biri. The two men searched around quickly, both worried for the females. Eventually, they spotted where Biri had landed not too far away but on a floating piece of land.

On the small island, both Nami and Mika were fine and safe. Biri was too and even looked relieved as it rested on the island. Once Nami has checked over Mika, at every nook and cranny, she then turned to the bird. Unlike before at Shiki's pool, Nami was not going to be nice.

Nami shouted angrily at the bird, "What was that about?!" She then immediately followed up with a quick and light knock to Biri's head. She then added, still very much anger, "You could've gotten Mika hurt!"

Understanding the woman's concern, Biri began to tear up with guilt. He then cried out in sorrow and ran up to Mika. Then, he began hugging and nuzzling the little girl; attempting to apologize the best he could.

At this, Mika happily accepted. "It's okay," she told the bird understandingly. After giving him a gentle pat on the head, Mika then asked out, "What happened Biri?"

Separating from Mika, Biri squawked as an attempt to communicate. Obviously, neither Mika or Nami, who was just watching on, could understand. Thus, he tried showing them by covering his nose up. Seeing this display, Nami arched her brow with confusion, but Mika seemed to understand enough.

"I think Biri is saying that there's something smelly over there," Mika told her mother.

Nami was surprised by her daughter's statement, and she looked back out to see what could cause something "smelly". After all, she hadn't smelled anything, and it seemed that Mika did not either. As she scanned the area, she immediately noticed a line of trees that separated one the wilderness from the village in the distance. She soon immediately realized she had seen them before.

"I saw those trees around Shiki's palace," Nami stated aloud. She then turned to Biri and asked him, "Do those trees produce some sort of smell that you dislike?"

Biri nodded, groaning out in discomfort.

"Hey!" A shout from Luffy below attracted the girl's and bird's attention down. The straw hat wearing man waved at the group with both arms as Ace stood nearby and Akio sat with Bite-Bark. Luffy soon continued shouting, "Are you guys okay?"

Hollering back, Nami replied, "Yeah! We're all good!"

"Great!" Luffy shouted back.

"We also found a village not too far from here!"

Luffy grinned happily. "Awesome!" he replied.

"Mrs. Monkey!" Akio shouted loudly. "Bite and Bark don't want to go forward, what are we gonna do?"

Realizing this, Mika asked her mother as well, "Yeah, I don't wanna leave Biri behind either."

If Nami felt like it, she probably could sternly put the children in their place and leave the animals behind just to get the kids to safety. That would be her line of thought; however, these two animals had been so very helpful to them. Instead, she tried thinking of a way to get them through. Her first line of thought was to simply block the scent or whatever that would be affecting the animals so much. Perhaps sticking some paper in their noses or a bandana to cover world work.

Then, from the corner of her eye, Nami caught sight of something familiar.

In another part of the jungle, Nami had seen a very familiar feline - the Booted Mynx - leaping from the top of the trees. She noticed how precise the feline was traveling, not getting any closer to the line of unusual trees that were keeping the animals at bay. Almost like it knew what was there. Then, she watched as the cat stopped and slipped down beneath the canopy. Whatever it was doing, Nami was sure that it was doing something intelligently. And that maybe, it had the answer she was looking for.

"I've got an idea," Nami said aloud, grinning.

* * *

Once the Booted Mynx had left the side of the orange-haired woman, it had immediately searched out again to get its bearings. It took it a while but it eventually found some familiar landscape that allowed it to realize just where it had landed. Thus, after traversing the jungle quickly, it slipped beneath the canopy to find exactly what it had been searching for. Covered in moss and vines was a stone hut separated in a glade. Without hesitation, the feline rushed into the hut and the darkness within.

In reality, the darkness concealed a pathway dug into the ground. The feline dashed through the tunnel in complete darkness. Its night vision easily allowing it to traverse the tunnel easily and skillfully. The Booted Mynx traveled down then straight for a while before descending steeply down. Moving quickly, the feline soon reached the end of downslope and the tunnel itself. Sunlight shined brightly into the tunnel making the feline stop just a moment for its eyes to adjust. Then, it stepped outside. The cat was immediately greeted by the scene of fields of grain and other produce giving plants along with the sight of the village. It was welcoming sight as the cat beast smiled contently. So, instead of rushing towards the village, the Booted Mynx decided to just casually walk to it.

"Waah!"

Hearing the scream, the Booted Mynx turned back to the tunnel. In a matter of seconds, it could hear someone or something coming down the tunnel. Immediately, it readied to fight.

The sound grew louder and louder as it came closer. Finally, what was in the tunnel flew out. It wasn't just one thing but really an entire group balled up together. It was composed of two human adults and two fairly big animals, one of which it recognized - the bird. Once out of the tunnel, the group collapsed in front of the feline. Despite being on guard, the Booted Mynx was completely astounded and confused by the display.

One of the men - Ace - then began shouting. "Dammit, Luffy!" He said angrily.

Luffy replied apologetically but cheerfully, "Sorry."

The Booted Mynx kept its guard up, not only because of the men but for also for the others coming down the tunnel. It readied again to fight but became surprised instead as it saw two kids - Mika and Akio - and the woman - Nami - it had escaped from Shiki's palace. Immediately, it relaxed its guard.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Nami.

"Yeah," replied both men.

Mika then let out a giggle. "That was pretty funny," she told them.

Seeing that the men were fine, Nami decided to look around at their surroundings. To her surprise, she saw the cat in front of them, looking surprised itself. This only made Nami smile and wave to the feline.

Before the feline could react, bushes began to rustle. Then, something jumped out. Whatever it was landed in front of the cat facing the group of humans. It was a white-furred hybrid of a monkey and a wolf. Its body and arms were that of a monkey while its head was a wolf and paws for feet as well. Most interestingly of the beast, it had a long, bushy tail with a large paw at the end. Both its paw tail and its monkey hands were gripped and the beast itself looked ready to fight.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Paw-tailed Sarookami. A noble beast imbued with a fighting spirit. While usually living in a pack, exceptionally strong ones will venture out on their own. Their strongest weapon is their unusual paw on its tail._

Immediately, Ace and Luffy got back up. Both ready to fight. Likewise, Bite-Bark and Biri stood back up and were prepared to aid the humans. It looked to be a regular showdown.

"Wait!" shouted Nami quickly. She then rushed in between the two groups, her arms spread out acting like a barrier, and tried to communicate with the animals. "We don't mean you any harm," Nami said, "I even helped your cat friend there."

Instantly after, the Booted Mynx called out as well. It pulled the guard back, much to its surprise, and began to speak with it. Meowing and barking were exchanged between the two animals as if communicating. Occasionally, the cat would point to Nami, clearly using her as an example. What the feline was saying seemed to be working as the hybrid relaxed. Once it was done, the cat looked back at the group. It stared silently at the group before giving them a nod. Then, the cat took off, its part done with. As for the hybrid, it made a rather unsettling wheezy snickering before jumping into a tree.

After all that, Nami breathed out in relief. "Thank goodness," she said gladly.

"Good job Nami," Luffy said cheerfully, not completely sure what happened.

Free to go forward, the group traveled to the village. Like their crew members before them, they noticed all the usual stuff; the feathers on the villagers' arms, the animals aiding them, and the relative peacefulness of the area. It was truly a great relief after a week of being chased by beasts and being held captive. But luck would have even more in store for this group than just serenity.

* * *

"Nami!" shouted Sanji in exhilaration. Then, he bent down and held his arms out. In joy, he called out, "Sweet little Mika!"

"Uncle Sanji!" Mika shouted out in joy. Already running, she jumped right into her uncle's arms and hugged the man back.

Finding them outside, Luffy's group ran into the village group as they rested on the steps of Xiao's family home. While the group on the steps had been exhausted, upon seeing the others they immediately perked up. Especially as Mika came running at them, excited to see them after so long. Of course, Sanji was the first to meet Mika and give her a hug. Afterwards, she went up to each of her uncles that came to her, each happy to see her as well as the others. Though Zoro remained stationary, Mika was happy enough to do the same for him as well making the swordsman blush with embarrassment as he secretly appreciated it. While she did this, the others had greeted the rest of the group.

"Whoa! Ace?" Usopp said surprised. "You're here too?"

"Somehow," Ace stated humorously.

Chopper also greeted the animals that came with them. "Hi," he said cheerfully to them.

Bark was the first to greet the reindeer. He happily barked out and licked the little reindeer affectionately. Bite remained rather stoic but nodded to the animal. Like Bark, Biri happily greeted the doctor as well.

As this all went on, the house door opened. Xiao stepped out of her home looking curious. Her mother followed behind her also wondering what was going on outside her home. As they went to the stairs, they were both surprised to see more people.

Xiao was completely shocked. "There's more?!" she said before fainting. Luckily, her mother caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Oh," Ever spoke out surprised. "It would seem you've added more to your group."

Nami immediately greeted her, "Hello." She smiled, already connecting with the fellow mother. She then replied, "I hope we're not bothering you."

"Oh no," Ever stated pleasantly. "Your friends helped my daughter, I'm greatly indebted to you all."

Nami and her group looked at the others who they knew were already in the village. Usopp and Sanji then immediately looked and thus directed that attention to Zoro and Chopper. The young reindeer became embarrassed at all the attention. On the other hand, Zoro looked to barely care, keeping up his stoic nature. Regardless, all the adults were sure that the man had indeed cared especially because of Mika's influence.

As such, Sanji couldn't help but comment, "Big softie."

"Shut up," Zoro replied tiredly.

"If there's anything I can do?" Ever asked politely. "If any of you need any rest…"

"Thanks," Luffy said politely. Then, he looked over to Nami. He told her, "You should go inside and rest."

Nami looked at her husband and captain surprised. Seeing the worry and concern for her in his eyes, she decided that she could finally rest. Thus, she smiled and nodded to her love. "Okay," she told him.

"I'll set up a bed then," Ever spoke aloud pleasantly. She then led Nami inside, but before she went in she woke up her daughter. "Xiao, wake up," she told her little girl. The girl woke up immediately and Ever asked of her, "Tend to our guests while I get the young Miss settled in."

Despite being nervous, Xiao nodded. "O-Okay," she said to her mother. Then, when she turned around, she was surprised to find two kids she had never met in front of her.

"Hi!" Mika said first, cheerfully. "I'm…" Before she could finish though, Xiao fainted in front of her.

Quickly, Akio caught her. Immediately, the girl woke up and Akio asked her, "Are you okay?"

Xiao began to blush as she looked up at the boy. Never had a boy caught her during her fainting spell, but this one had the kindness to do so and the politeness to check on her. "Y-Y-Yes," Xiao said nervously. She then stood back up, still blushing.

"I'm Akio," the boy stated.

"Hi!" Mika said again, a little less enthusiastic but still friendly. "I'm Mika."

Not wanting to be rude, though cheeks still flushed, Xiao responded back to both kids, "I'm X-Xiao."

As the group of men began to rest, and the kids got to know each other, none had noticed a pair of eyes watching them. It was the Self-propelled Video Transponder Snail, and it had been watching for some time now. Capturing moving images, it sent them back to the security screens in Shiki's place.

* * *

"Lord Shiki," spoke a man at the screen that showed the Straw Hats. He then informed his superior, "We've found her."

Sitting on his throne, Shiki began grinning delightedly. "Excellent," he said.

"Will you go and collect her?" the man asked.

"In time," Shiki stated calmly. He then gestured with his finger for someone to come forward. Immediately, a man came out with a regular Transponder Snail. Shiki picked up the dial and input a number. After a little bit of ringing, someone answered.

 _"Yeah?"_ From the snail came the voice of Teach, sounding slightly annoyed.

Ignoring the attitude, Shiki kept his grin as it turned a bit devious. "I've got a job for you, Blackbeard," he told the man.

* * *

 **Author's note: More Fun Facts!**

 **This time, it's about our friend the Paw-Tailed Sarookami!**

 **This beast is a combination of three different animals over three areas; real, fanmade, and fictional.**

 **A monkey, as it is Luffy's animal representation.**

 **A wolf, for added features. Inspired by fellow writer Fangheart's OC, Blizzard - a wolf-dog that travels with the Straw Hats in her stories**

 **And finally, an Aipom, my choice as Luffy's Pokemon representation which gives the creature its paw-tail**


	13. Scene 13

**Author's Note: Welcome back! It's been too long, on with the show! This one's gonna be short, but it'll pick up soon.**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 13**

 **Speakeasy**

Far from the peaceful setting of the village, there was a town of noise and partying. This city was lousy with pirates as they drank, clashed, and laughed merrily without a care. This was the sight that Robin, Franky, and Brook were greeted to. Not immediately, much of the town furthest away from the large old Japanese styled fortress was empty. As they moved further in, however, they soon saw more and more pirates behaving recklessly and having their fun. They simply chose to ignore it as much as possible; yet, they were curious as to why they were in fine clothing like tuxedos.

Regardless, they traveled to the big building where it seemed all these pirates were congregating at. Surprisingly, they were welcomed inside and were met with the dull lighting of a bar scene. It was more orderly here despite the atmosphere of smoke. As they looked around, they also noticed a number of employees working in this establishment. All of them young women and men with feathers. Unfortunately, their search of the building brought them nothing.

"Looks like they're not here," Franky stated disappointed. His blue pompadour now standing back up, his cola energy restored thanks to the service of this bar.

Brook nodded. "No, they are not," he agreed. He then looked out to the crowd and commented, "But there are an unusual amount of pirates here, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Franky said curiously.

Looking at one of the tables, Robin made an observation. "They all have Eternal Poses marked for this island," she pointed out. "They must have been summoned here."

Franky nodded. "Yeah," he said," but what for?"

As a young woman with scarlet hair came walking towards them with a plate of drinks, Brook decided to grab her attention. "Excuse me, Miss..." he said politely before reading the name tag on her shirt, "Ever."

A bit surprised, the woman stopped. "Yes, sir?" she asked.

Brook thus asked, "May I see your panties?"

Instantly, Ever was set off. She let out her anger quickly as she impressively jumped up into the air, spun, and kicked the skeleton down. Not allowing a single empty mug or bottle fall off the tray. She then replied, "Like Hell, I would!"

Unconcerned for Brook's well-being, Robin took this opportunity to question the girl. "My," she began with as she looked at the girl's arms, "those are some interesting features you have."

Again surprised, Ever raised her arm up curiously in reference to the woman's question. "Oh, these?" she stated with a pleasant smile. "Everyone in my village has them for some reason."

"Really," Robin stated intrigued.

"Yeah," Ever said. She then explained to them her own thoughts, "I think it's because we want to fly away like the birds do."

Franky eyed the girl confused. "'Fly away'?" he repeated questioningly. He then asked, "Do you think you all can just fly if you believe it?"

Smiling still, Ever nodded. "Sure," she said optimistically. She then excused herself, returning back to her duties.

"Um," spoke Brook on the floor still. As the woman passed him, he tried one last time to ask, "Panties?" The response to his question was an immediate stomping on his skull by Ever as she left. It hurt but the skeleton man would survive.

Once Ever was out of earshot, Franky decided to comment. "That's a bit weird," he stated.

As he got back up, Brook replied understandingly, "Not to her it's not."

Then, suddenly, someone hollered out curiously. "Hey! You lot!" The group turned to see that they had garnered the attention of one of the pirates. A pudgy pirate at that who looked to have had just enough to be tipsy but in-control.

"Yes," Robin responded back coolly.

The man spoke, "You guys are with Straw Hat, yeah?" The group's interests were peaked as the man seem to know who they were without much concern. Before any of them could further ask anything, the man continued on saying, "I didn't know Boss Shiki was accepting rookies too."

Franky was about to make a comment when Robin spoke up first. "Yes, our captain is very interested in the Boss' alliance," she stated artfully, attempting to pull information from the man deceitfully. She then asked, "So, why are so many of the alliance gathered now?"

"You don't know?" the man said surprised. "You've seen the newspapers, right?"

Robin recalled the articles from a week ago. "About the attacks on the East Blue villages?" she questioned.

The man laughed out jovially. "Yeah! You got it," he said. "The Boss' got something big planned for the East Blue, and we're gonna get a demonstration soon."

"Oh?" Robin said intrigued.

Then, there came some noise from behind that attracted the Straw Hat group's attention. They turned around to see one of the male staff - the people with feathers on their arms - was suddenly grabbed by two larger men in suits. They dragged the man off despite the concern of the rest of the staff. Some had tried to ask the men what was going on. The answer had shocked them.

"Lord Shiki is allowing one to go home," stated the man. "In time, each of you will be released."

Hearing this, the man chuckled deviously. "It sounds like we'll be starting soon," he commented eagerly. Then, his whole table began to chuckle and laugh, all seemingly knowing with their cruel smirks.

"Oh yeah," the same man recalled aloud. He suddenly pointed to the group - specifically their clothing - and replied to them, "The Boss' got a dress code for the meetin' tonight," he stated, "formal suits only."

Despite being suspicious of this 'demonstration' the man spoke of, Robin kept a calm and cheery expression on. Thus, she replied casually, "Ah, we'll be sure to inform the others then."

This gave the group an excuse to leave the conversation. The man definitely didn't mind as he went back to drinking and merrymaking. For the group, however, they were definitely not in a celebrating mood. They still had to find their crewmates and they had a feeling their crew may have found this village of feathered people. That would soon be a "demonstration" for these lowlifes by Shiki. They had to hurry.

Who knows when the "demonstration" would begin.


	14. Scene 14

**Author's Note: Welcome! It's been too long, on with the show! It'll be a little fluffy, but the next chapter is gonna be cool. Today's scene was inspired by the Pikachu short Pikachu & Pichu from Pokemon Movie 3.**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 14**

 **Let's Play**

"Daddy~," whined Mika impatiently, "I wanna play!"

Luffy only snored.

"Uncle Zoro!"

Zoro was silent with sleep.

"Uncle Usopp!"

Usopp turned to his side, barely stirred otherwise.

"Uncle Sanji?"

Strangely, despite still being asleep, Sanji sat up. He attempted to say something but he couldn't move his mouth to speak; too tired to even speak. With his last bits of reserved energy gone, Sanji then fell over in sleep.

Not amused, Mika moved on. "Uncle Chopper~," she whined out again.

Like the others, Chopper was sleeping as well. Contently even as he wore a sleepy smile.

Mika then turned to her last hope. "Uncle Ace?" she asked out hopeful.

Ace was fortunately not asleep, but he was indeed resting. So, with a heavy heart, he had to decline. "Sorry, Mika," he apologized, "but I'm pretty tired myself."

With her last hope dashed, Mika began puffing out her cheeks pouting and frowning in disappointment. All her family was too busy sleeping to play with her. She thought they were all selfish for not considering her needs, but seeing how none of them would even budge she would allow it to slide this time. Instead, she looked at the remaining members of her group that could be awake and active. Akio was sitting by Bite-Bark and Biri grooming both of them to pass the time. Grinning ambitiously, Mika was sure she could get her friend and animal companions to play.

"Akio!" Mika called out eagerly. "Let's go play!"

The boy looked at the girl, his expression showing hesitation. "I don't know," he told his friend unsurely. He then stated, "I don't think the adults would want us running off."

"But it's so boring here," Mika stated whiningly.

As the two kids began arguing over what to do, the door once again opened at Xiao's house. The girl herself was coming outside carrying a plate of drinks. There looked to be enough for everyone outside, but she soon noticed that almost everyone was asleep. So, instead, she walked over to the other kids.

"Um, excuse me," Xiao said nervously, interrupting the two kids' argument. She then held out the tray towards them. She asked them, "Would you like some juice?"

Mika ceased arguing as she heard the offer. "Oh! Thanks," she said happily. She then took up one of the cups.

Akio nodded and took a cup as well. "Thanks," he said politely.

Xiao blushed and nodded at the boy. She was too nervous to reply back. While she waited for the two kids to finish their drinks, she decided to tell them something interesting. "I-I heard," she began, "that you wanted to play?"

After finishing her drink, Mika looked at the girl with a smile. "Yeah!" she said excitedly.

"I can take you somewhere that's really fun," Xiao promised with a small smile.

Beaming brightly, Mika shouted out, "Awesome!" She then grabbed the girl's hand and asked her, "Lead the way, Xiao!"

Going with the flow, Akio stood up from his spot. "I'll come too," he stated enthusiastically.

Both Bark and Bite gave out a short bark, showing that they too wanted to come. Biri as well gave out a coo of interest as it stood up.

Now excited despite still being timid, Xiao shook her head eagerly. "Okay," she stated determinedly.

Altogether, the group followed Xiao from her house towards the outskirts of the village. They went in a different direction than how they came in before, having gone through the farm fields earlier. Their destination lied just on the other side of those fields where grass grew far and wide. As the group neared the edge of this plain, they spotted the hamster creatures heading into the tall grass themselves. Immediately, Mika and Akio wondered where they were going. Xiao then took the group into the tall grass and had them travel just a little was in. Just a few feet in and they had come across a large hole in the ground. It looked big and wide enough to fit Bite-Bark three times over. As the pirate kids marveled at the sight, they also watched as the Sentai Hamsters marched up to the entrance to the hole. Then, as the tunnel from the hole was gently angled downwards, they witnessed the rodents as they slid down the tunnel.

"Wow," said Mika and Akio amazed.

Despite already knowing this and what was to come, Xiao was smiling with excitement. "Come on," she told the group before walking up to the entrance.

Understanding what she was about to do, the kids grinned enthusiastically and followed after. Their animal companions followed right behind them. While the hamsters easily moved around to give the group room, they all stood at the entrance watching as the hamster gleefully slid into the dark tunnel.

Seeing this darkness, Akio was beginning to have second thoughts. "Are you sure-" Before he could even finish, one of the hamsters decided he was taking too long. One with a yellow badge symbol kick-pushed him into the tunnel and onto his stomach. Then, the hamster rode him like a skateboard as he hollered out in fright, "AH!"

Mika gasped. "Wait for me, Akio!" she called out before jumping in. Sliding on her butt, the girl hollered out in glee, "Wahoo!"

Xiao followed suit. "Yippee!" she hollered joyfully. She too sliding down on her butt through the tunnel.

Bark barked out eagerly and they both moved forward into the tunnel to slide. Biri followed after them as he took flight and glided down into the tunnel.

Screams of fright and joy began to echo through the tunnel now. Despite having left seconds apart from each other, the group was now sliding down together as the group along with the Sentai Hamsters. Like them, most of them at least, the hamsters were enjoying the ride as well. Even Bark, Bite, and Biri were enjoying themselves. Eventually, this slide ride led the group to the end of the tunnel but not the slide. The tunnel cut off into a large cavern, and the group gasped at the sight they saw.

As the sunlight shined down brightly through many holes in the ceiling, it revealed onto the kids a massive formation of stone constructed into a fortress-like structure. Only, it looked far friendlier and playful-looking like a playground. Made all the more evident as there were many children playing on it; swinging on ropes, climbing walls, sliding down smaller slides, and crawling through the structure.

Not only the children, many of the animals that Mika and Akio had seen were here. The Tri-horned Rhinoceros, the Giraff-a-han, the Paw-tailed Sarookami, and the Bird of Grace were here. Of course, so were the Sentai Hamsters. Also here was the Curlyhorn Mallard, Armadilleon, the King's Torasame, and the Giant Sakura Pandeer. All of these animals were playing or entertaining the children in some way. There was even the Booted Mynx, who was simply laying peacefully on a perch of outstretched rock from the playground.

For Mika and Akio, it all looked amazing.

"Hey!" shouted one of the kids, a boy, from the playground. "Xiao's here!"

The kids heard the shout and looked at the large slide entrance. They soon began to gather at the foot of the slide, making room to allow the group to land and pick themselves up.

Akio was the first to reach the bottom, only for Mika and Xiao to crash into him innocently. The Sentai Hamster had jumped off the boy just in time before the crash. Luckily, neither girl was harmed though Akio had gotten a face full of dirt. Bite-Bark soon landed right behind the girls. Its landing was much softer, almost cushioning the girls, but gave Akio another face full of dirt. Thankfully for Akio, Biri simply glided down and landed next to the Golden Orthros. The group then stood up ready to greet the kids.

"Everyone," Xiao said to the other kids eagerly. "This is Mika and Akio, they're new here."

All the kids greeted them together. "Hello!" they said cheerfully.

Mika immediately giggled with excitement. "Hi!" she replied back.

Instantly, the questions began to fly. The village children asked every sort of questions; sometimes twice. Where they came from, how they got here, why they were here; these and much more were asked and then answered. Mika and Akio were more than willing to explain their situation. That they were a part of a (good) pirate crew, how they were separated from each other by Shiki, and how they survived out in the wilds of Merveille. The village kids were completely amazed by these newcomers.

Eventually, Mika had enough questions. "Come on," she shouted eagerly as ran past the kids towards the playground. She then shouted, "I wanna play!"

None of the kids argued with her nor did Akio or Xiao. Forgetting any residual questions they had left, the kids began shouting and cheering as they ran after Mika. Akio and Xiao followed as well, equally as excited. The animals, including Bite-Bark and Biri, soon followed behind them.

Together, child and animal laughed and played all over the naturally made playground. It was like Mika and Akio had always been apart of their group. They played all throughout the afternoon playing any kind of game they could think of.

Like, pretend…

"Avast ye scoundrels," Mika declared in a stereotypical pirate speech, leading about half the group of village children. Also with her was Biri, a few of the Sentai Hamsters, and the Sarookami to play as well. She then pointed her 'sword' - really a stick - down from the structure and spoke again, "Prepare to be boarded and your gold taken."

"Mika," Akio said derisively. While he led the other half of village kids, Xiao and Bite-Bark included, he stated knowingly, "None of our crewmates have ever spoken like that. Or take people's gold."

Mika immediately shouted back frustratedly, "Stop ruining the fun and play, A-Killjoy!"

"Hey!" Akio shouted back in outrage.

Unfortunately for the village kids, they didn't have quite the drive to be pirates as their "captains" did. Even Xiao, despite her willingness to stay by Akio's side, was sure that this was too much for her. Eventually, she fainted; and thus, stopping the game entirely.

They then moved on to other games; more independent games. Even the animals joined in, both careful and friendly even with the newcomers. In such a new and fun environment, Mika and Akio were able to explore every nook and cranny of this structure, which had been explained to them by the village kids to have been built by the Sentai Hamsters. Meant for them and the other animals for fun and to rest. A place where they couldn't be watched and could hide in times of danger.

"Come on, Xiao!" Mika called out cheerfully.

Xiao nodded happily, "Mmm." She then ran after Mika as they both ran into the structure.

The two girls had become fast friends. After all, Mika never had a female friend near her age to play with before. This got her all the more excited. As far as the female children went, Xiao had a surprising amount of stamina to keep up with Mika. Most other kids, even the boys, could hardly do that. Most the boys, at least.

"Hey," Akio greeted as the two girls met him inside.

They all together ran through the earthen structure. Coming along with them, many of the Sentai Hamsters were following. They crawled through the tunnel together until they reached the top and the slide. Immediately, one after the other, they went down the slide. They each screamed out in cheer as the slid down the smooth rock. The slide twisted downward several feet and kids and hamsters landed on the ground. They all instantly laughed out before they took off to do more.

The playing and laughing last for most of an hour. The sunlight that shined through the many gaps above the playground had become slanted and hued with orange showing that it was getting close to evening. Though, for the children, they could hardly care. As long as they had light, they would keep on playing. Unfortunately, that would not last. An older child, a girl, suddenly came sliding down the entryway.

"Shuu!" the girl shouted urgently.

All the kids and animals stopped playing immediately. The Booted Mynx, who had rested peacefully the whole time, moved for the first time to look at the newcomer. As the girl reached the bottom of the slide, all the children began to gather with curiosity. Ahead of the group was Mika, Akio, and Xiao. A girl soon joined them, obviously Shuu, who was looking worried.

"Y-Yes?" Shuu asked out nervously.

The older girl had to catch her breath first, holding a finger up to signal this. Once done, the girl quickly blurted out, "Shuu! Your dad is back!"

Instantly, the whole room became silent. All the village kids were shocked. The animals too looked greatly surprised with the Booted Mynx appeared unsettled by the news. Neither Mika nor Akio understood though why all the kids looked so astonished. Of course, neither of them realized how serious the situation was for their new friends.

And none of them could perceive the event that would unfold soon.


	15. Scene 15

**Author's Note: Get ready, guys...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 15**

 **Bad News Kids**

When the news struck the village children all play and fun was forgotten. Immediately, they began crawling and climbing up the slide that was the entrance way. Curious themselves, Akio and Mika followed everyone else up the slide. Some of the animals, greatly concerned as they saw a few children slip as the climbed, quickly went to aid them. Biri picked up Mika, Akio, and Xiao and flew them up. The Sarookami, the Torasame, and the Pandeer helped the children up, using their claws to keep from slipping and their bodies to catch any kids from slipping. The Sentai Hamster joined them as well but were too small to really help. Bite-Bark was trying to join the group as well only to keep slipping as they had no idea on how to climb the smoothed rock and dirt.

Concerned as well, the Booted Mynx rose up and leaped around. As the children left with a few of the animals up the slide, the Booted Mynx left through another exit, one that was much easier to climb for the bigger animals like the Tri-horned Rhinoceros and the Giraff-a-han could travel through. Once out, the Boot Mynx looked back towards the village as it saw the children running back to it. Not only the children but also Biri and Bite-Bark followed them. It rushed through the grass and soon joined with the children in running back to the village. Once so, it noticed the Sentai Hamsters joining along, hopping onto the children to keep up. When it got to the village, it leaped onto the houses and continued traveling by jumping from house to house. As it did, it spotted a crowd and traveled over to listen in. The crowd was in the square of the village so the Booted Mynx stopped at the closest house to observe and listen. Just in time as the children rushed in.

Having flown on Biri, Mika and her friends were the first to arrive. No sooner after, as they slipped off Biri's back, the other children came running it. From there, they all went into the crowd and slipped through the adults and out the other side. Mika, Akio, and Xiao were the first to get through them. Unfortunately, Mika and Akio weren't sure what was going on; however, Xiao did. When the village children got through, however, they gasped with shock. Standing in the middle, and hugging one of the women, was a man; the first one Mika and Akio had seen in this village.

Then, the girl Shuu got through the crowd as did the other children. She immediately gasped out in shock. "Papa!" shouted a girl, tearful but joyful before running out.

Apparently, this man was the girl's father. While she reunited with her father, the village women began to talk around. From what Mika and Akio could pick up, it seemed that Shiki was releasing their friends and family from servitude. This seemed to be a big deal for the villagers, and that it also seemed that Shiki would be leaving soon. Neither Mika or Akio understood why.

"Um," Xiao spoke, walking forward to the man. Looking hopeful, she asked, "Did you grab any IQ medicine? My grandma is sick with Daft."

Much to her surprise, the man had come back with medicine. Courtesy of "Lord" Shiki, no less. He willingly gave it to Xiao and she took off immediately after.

The Booted Mynx watched curiously as the little girl left soon followed by the two other kids. It was about to follow after them; until, it suddenly sensed malice in the distance. The fur on its body stood up and it looked over towards a rock formation outside the village. It hissed out threateningly before dashing towards that same direction

* * *

Having been curious, Mika and Akio followed after Xiao. They followed her all the way back to her home. When they got there, their crew and family were still resting peacefully and undisturbed. Thus, they paid no mind to them as they hurried inside. Already, Xiao was speaking with her mother, completely ecstatic.

"Are you sure?" Xiao's mother said full of hope.

Xiao nodded fervently. "That's what Shuu's dad said," Xiao stated joyful, "Shiki's going to be releasing everyone." She then stated with more excitement, "Dad and Ever are finally coming home!"

Both Mika and Akio smiled, happy for their friend. Neither of them spoke though as mother and daughter continued their conversation.

"Does that mean…" Xiao's mother said, becoming so emotionally happy that she was unable to finish. Lest she be wrong and be disappointed.

Again, Xiao nodded with joy. "That's right," she told her mother happily, "Shiki's gonna leave with all the bad animals to the Sea of Stratagems…"

"To the East Blue!"

Instantly, Mika and Akio stopped smiling. They both stared at the family in shock.

From her bed, Xiao's grandmother began to move in her bed. She sat up as she stared in both shock and concern over her granddaughter's news. She couldn't help but speak hesitantly, "Is it finally time? Is that awful man finally leaving?"

"Yes, Grandma!" Xiao said cheerfully.

Knowing her granddaughter would never lie to her, Xiao's grandmother became emotional and began tearing up. "Thank goodness," she said in rejoice, "I wish that man would leave already even if it's a minute or second sooner."

"I know Mother," Xiao's mother said with the same feeling. "I feel the same."

Mika then shouted out loudly, "What?!" She then asked, "Why is Shiki going to the East Blue?!"

Xiao was immediately startled. "M-Mika?" she said.

Akio then asked, "Why is he taking the animals with him?"

Seeing her daughter too nervous to respond, Xiao's mother decided to speak. "Why are you kids so concerned?" she asked.

"The East Blue is my mama's and daddy's and uncle's home!" Mika stated loudly serious.

"It's my crew's home," Akio also stated equally as serious.

"And there's so many people that my mama and daddy know there," Mika stated even more serious. Then, she placed her hand on her chest. She stated determinedly, "People I wanna meet."

Xiao and her family stared at the girl and boy shocked. They had nothing to retort back to them; in fact, they were beginning to feel bad.

"M-Mika," Xiao said sorrowfully.

Regardless though of their feelings, Mika was still very much angry at them. She continued shouting out, "You-!"

"Monkey D. Namika," Nami's voice spoke sternly, cutting her daughter off.

Everyone looked back and they saw the orange-haired woman standing by the bed. Little did they know that she had been awake for much of the conversation. From her own experiences with Shiki, she had already pieced together everything. She understood not only the Flying Pirate's plan but the situation of the people of this village as well. It was understandable why they felt the way they did, and she felt that they should not be punished for finally getting some hope in their life.

Thus, Nami spoke to her daughter sternly, "Don't you harass them after all they've done for us."

Mika looked at her mother flabbergasted. "But Mama," she said with disbelief.

"No buts," Nami stated adamantly. She then walked and grabbed her daughter by the arm. She told the girl, "You're going to get a stern talking to, young lady."

"What?!" complained Mika incredulously.

Nami then looked back. "You too, Akio," she said quickly back to the boy.

Akio blinked with surprise. He wasn't sure what was going on with Nami, he was sure she would be angry as well. Her attitude now confused him; but regardless, he obeyed the woman. He quickly followed after the two and left the house with them.

Once outside, the door closed and some distance away, Nami began speaking again. "Mika," she said gently and with more consideration, "you shouldn't blame them for the things that they can't control."

Not understanding and becoming mad, Mika spoke out, "But Mama, they were talkin' about the East Blue, and that they were happy that Shiki was gonna leave and attack everyone there."

"I know," Nami said calmly. She then bent down to meet the girl at eye level, trying to reach through to her daughter. She told her, "But they can't help how they feel, and you don't fully understand their situation."

Mika looked at her mother confused. "Huh?" she said.

Then, Akio spoke up. "Mrs. Monkey," he said sounding worried, "where's the crew?"

"Huh?" Nami said surprised.

Immediately, Nami stood up. She looked around and saw that none of their crew was around like she had recalled. Not even Ace was here. She quickly became concerned, knowing full well that their crew wouldn't up and leave them without some warning. Unless there was something important.

Mika had soon noticed as well. She had just seen them only a few minutes ago. This got her worried quickly over them, especially father. Thus, her eyes began to glow a faint red, and she immediately knew where her father was located. Without warning, she took off to go to him.

"Mika?" Nami said surprised. When her daughter didn't respond, she went after her.

Of course, Akio followed suit. He did not want to be left alone with the family.

The two of them followed after Mika. Down the stairs and around the corner, they continued following after her down the street. She remained on the same path a for a while before you eventually ran into the outskirts of the village. Mika stopped just a few feet out. She stood there long enough for Nami and Akio to catch up. Neither of them saw the girl's eyes as they ceased glowing.

"Namika," Nami spoke crossly. She then scolded, "What has gotten in…"

"Well, well," spoke a new voice jovially, "long time no see, Straw Hat."

"...to…" Nami ceased speaking upon hearing that new voice, which sounded very familiar.

Nami and Akio - Mika had already been - looked up as they saw a standoff. In front of them was the crew and Ace lined up before another group of men, also lined up and all very large or tall. Chopper was already in Heavy Point, Zoro had two of his sword unsheathed and in his hands, and the brothers both standing further in front their group as to be the first to make a move when needed. The most surprising sight, for Nami at least, was who was in the group of men in front of her own. She didn't recognize the others in the group, but she immediately recalled the one man - their leader seemingly - that stood in front of his own group. The man she, Luffy, and Zoro had met in Jaya two years ago before reaching Skypeia.

Luffy named him aloud, sounding both serious and confused. "Cherry Pie Guy…" he stated.

Luckily, Ace knew the man's actual name. "Teach," he said with disdain.


	16. Scene 16

**Author's Note: Time for the fight! Get ready...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 16**

 **We Fight Together**

"I can't believe my eyes," spoke Marshall D. Teach, better known as Blackbeard, astounded while he looked down from beneath the rock monument. He looked down the hill upon which he and his crew stood on, eying one person specifically among the other group of pirates. In a cheery tone, continued to speak out to that person, "It's been a long while, Commander Ace."

Ace replied with nothing, his scowl showing all his contempt towards the man.

Regardless, Teach continued on speaking in his cheery tone. "What brings you to here of all places?" the man asked curiously.

This time, Ace spoke. "I'm here because of you, Blackbeard," he replied disdainfully.

Luffy immediately looked at his brother shocked. "Wait," he said in surprise. He then pointed at Teach while saying, "Cherry Pie Guy is that Blackbeard guy you were looking for?"

"Yeah," Ace said. The freckled man then looked at his little brother surprised. He asked him, "You've met him?"

Nodding, Luffy responded, "Yeah, back in Mock Town." He recalled the man way back when, two years ago, when he, Zoro, and Nami were looking for information on Skypeia. The man had been different from all the other people there as the only one to not laugh at them but also believe in them, somewhat. Later on, however, they had seen him again with his crew, and he had a goal in mind that involved him.

"He also said he was trying to capture me back then," Luffy added on lastly, sounding an oddly calm about the matter.

Ace was shocked. "What?!" he said in outrage.

Overhearing him, Teach gave out a short laugh. "Yeah, but fate was on your side that day," he commented lightheartedly. He then added, "I was gonna to try and capture ya at Water 7, but as fate would have it again we got caught in a storm off Banaro Island and were delayed."

Ace immediately frowned at the mention of "Banaro Island". That same storm had delayed him as well. He was determined though and had gone after Teach when he learned of his location. Unfortunately, when he had gotten there, and through the storm, he missed them entirely. Worst, none of the people that were living on the island had any clue where Teach and his crew went. It had become a dead end.

"My question though," Teach spoke curiously. He asked, "Why are you hangin' out with Straw Hat, Commander Ace?"

Ace growled out angrily, "You don't get to call me 'commander'." He then answered in the same tone, "Because 'Straw Hat' Luffy is my little brother."

Teach gasped out in shock. "Seriously?!" he yelled out.

"Seems destiny's path has many crossways," Van Augur commented hauntingly.

Becoming increasingly annoyed, Ace asked out loudly, "Why are you here, Teach?"

"Oh, right," Teach said in realization. He then pointed to Nami and proclaimed, "Boss Shiki has requested of me to pick up Straw Hat's navigator over there."

Now, Nami gasped in shock.

Hearing the gasp, Luffy and his group looked back. For a moment, he was surprised, but it soon made way for his strengthened resolve. The young captain then looked back towards Teach and gave the man and grew a threatening glare. "You're not taking her," he stated with unyielding determination.

"Luffy," Ace spoke before stepping forward. He then told his brother, "Let me handle, Teach, he's my responsibility to deal with. I'll-"

"Not a chance, Ace," Luffy stated stubbornly.

Immediately, Ace looked at his brother. "Luffy," he said with concern.

Sanji then spoke, "Give it up." Not caring that the kids were here as well, Sanji lit a cigarette up. He then told the man confidently, "Not one of us are going to let that Shiki jerk have his way."

"Y-Yeah!" shouted Usopp, bravely but clearly frightened by the show of his shaking legs. "N-No one takes the crewmate of the great Captain Usopp a second time."

"You guys aren't taking Nami!" shouted Chopper determinedly.

As for Zoro, he was smirking devilishly with eagerness. "I remember that wrestling guy from Mock Town," he stated keenly. He then sheathed his swords and stated, "I was hoping I could break that winning streak of his."

"Hold it!" Ace shouted out quickly, trying to calm the group down. He then stated, "This is my fight, and-"

The whole group spoke in unison, "It's our fight now!" Immediately, the Straw Hats rushed forward.

Ace called out, "Wait!" Of course, it fell on deaf ears as his brother and crew rushed past him. Though instantly frustrated by the stubbornness of this group, matching his little brother's no less, Ace would not fall let them fight on their own. So, he launched out forward quickly to join them.

Watching the pirates charge, Teach couldn't help but smirk eagerly. "Okay, guys," he said to his crew confidently. He then commanded them, "You guys handle the Straw Hats and get that Nami girl, I'll handle Ace."

Burgess laughed out with glee. "You got it, Captain!" he replied ecstatically.

Then, Burgess rushed forward eagerly. The others of the Blackbeard crew immediately scattered with Laffitte forming wings from his arms and taking off flying into the air. Doc Q was the only other member to charge forward as he held a double-sided scythe while riding upon his faithful horse Stronger. Van Augur took to keeping his distance, his gun in hand, and was already preparing to fire upon the other pirates.

As the fighting began, Nami quickly pulled out and assembled her Perfect Clima-Tact. She stepped in front of the children and told them, "Run back to the village and hide."

Akio quickly pointed out, "But, they're after you, Mrs. Monkey!"

The group soon began moving back from the battlefield. None of them, however, realized though that their exit was already blocked. In their way, the dapperly dressed man floated down onto the path. His wings folding into his body as he landed and soon replaced with his human arms and hands. Like a magic trick, he the. pulled out his cane from his sleeve and tapped it on the ground. Instantly, the group was on edge.

"Now, now," Laffitte said playfully. "We can't have you running off, Girl."

Quickly, Nami got in front of the kids. She held up her Perfect Clima-Tact defensively with one end already glowing with blue. "Tell Shiki he can go fly into a typhoon!" she shouted venomously.

Laffitte chuckled amusedly. "Unfortunately, we can't go back empty-handed," he stated. He then eyed the children and an idea formed. As he began smirking maliciously, he spoke, "Perhaps a little incentive…"

Noticing, Nami immediately shouted, "Cool Ball!" She then fired out several blue orbs of cooling energy. They flew out towards the man, popped, and released their energies that began cooling down the area.

Laffitte commented pleasantly, "My, that is refreshing." He then began to walk forward. "But we do need to be hurrying along," he told Nami.

"Cool Charge," Nami said undeterred. She then swung her staff in front of them. As it did, it seemingly wiped away their presence and they all disappeared from view. Nevertheless, Nami's voice still rang out, "Mirage Tempo!"

"Cool!" Mika's voice cheered out in amazement.

"Oh no," Laffitte said surprised yet casual as he looked around. "I can't seem to find you."

"Ah!"

The little girl's scream quickly caught Laffitte's attention. He spotted the little girl just a few feet away, on the ground looking to have tripped. Smiling, the former policeman took this opportunity. "Oh, girl," he called out mellifluous. As he attempted to grab her, the girl looking at him in fear, he found his hand going through her.

"What the…" Laffitte said confused.

Then, Nami's voice spoke out. "Fata Morgana!"

Suddenly, images of Nami, Mika, and Akio began to appear around him. In groups, no less. Three composed of a single person but made up of five of that same person; except for Mika, who was missing one. Different versions of the three people he had seen; normal version (the one Mika was missing), short or kid version in Nami's case, big and tall skinny version, a fat version, and a big, muscular version. The sight of these images baffled Laffitte greatly. He looked at group wondering which one was the real one.

Namis then spoke out with a smirk, "Don't think it'll be easy to capture any of us."

The Mikas then let out a giggle. The trick her mother was playing on the man bringing her much joy.

As Laffitte attempted to search for Nami and the kids, the other Straw Hats and Ace were dealing with the other members of the Blackbeard crew. Usopp and Chopper were against Van Augur. The man, whose accuracy with his musket was never off, fired upon the two. Luckily, being such fast cowards, they both had been able to dodge them. Thus, to return fire, Usopp rode on Chopper in his Walk Point form and fired back. Of course, Van Augur was able to fire a shot-for-shot matchup blocking his opponent's attacks.

Usopp growled. "Bastard!" he shouted out as he fired.

Van Augur fired as well and blocked the attack. He then commented, "Your fates are sealed if you think you can outshoot me."

Elsewhere, Sanji fight was against Doc Q and Stronger the horse, who were easy enough to handle. The sickly man and the equally sick horse looked barely dangerous and even less quick. He easily sidestepped the man's slashing scythe and near-dying horse and did so again when he attempted again. Soon, Sanji was wondering what the man was up to. He soon got his answer the moment he took a step. From that first step came a spontaneous explosion that Sanji just barely dodged it in time. Instantly after, a chuckle came from the sickly man.

"You should be careful," Doc Q warned as he held up an empty flask. "I've sprinkled this area with my homemade explosive compound, one wrong step and you can lose your life."

Looking around, unable to tell a difference in the ground, Sanji looked trapped. "Shit," he cursed in frustration.

Chuckling again, Doc Q signaled Stronger to move forward. The doctor then prepared to attack. "I hope you're feeling lucky, for you-" As the man spoke, an explosion erupted beneath the horse and enveloped them both. They both then collapsed onto the ground, both still conscious, fortunately.

Surprised, Sanji let out a puff of cigarette smoke. "Guess my luck's fine," he stated coolly.

Then, at another spot around this area, Zoro was finally putting his strength to the test against Burgess. The two men engaged in grappling the other as both attempted to overpower the other. Much to Burgess' surprise, Zoro equaled his strength that had felled many a challenger before. This simply enticed the man to further push himself, and Zoro did the same. The ground around them shook and began to break under the immense pressure these two men exerted. Eventually, the two broke apart.

Burgess let out a chuckle. "Now you are a challenge," he acknowledged happily with much respect. He then added, "I should've just challenged you back in Mock Town."

Zoro barely gave the man any sort of indication. As much as this contest of strength was thrilling for him, this man was attempting to take their crewmate away. Regardless of who they were, that act was unforgivable. Thus, he drew out one of his swords - Shusui - and prepared to attack more seriously.

Finally, there was Teach facing off against Ace…

"Gum-Gum…"

And Luffy.

"Pistol!" Luffy shouted as he launched his fist out in fury.

The man's arm stretched and his clenched fist traveled to close the gap between him and the man known as Blackbeard. His fist connected against Teach's stomach and got stuck there. Both Luffy and Ace were shocked at the sight of Luffy's fist sunk into the man's body in swirling, smoke-like darkness. On the other hand, Teach was only grinning deviously.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Teach asked out, unfazed and obvious of his condition. He then raised his hand, enveloped in the same black smoke substance, and grabbed Luffy's outstretched arm. "Now, watch this!" he told them.

Luffy and Ace were confused for a moment; then, Luffy suddenly shot forward against his will. Immediately seeing this, Ace shouted out fearfully with an outstretched hand, "Luffy!"

Luffy screamed out as he zipped through the air. He hadn't a clue why his arm was retracting him towards Teach. Then, as Blackbeard removed his fist from his stomach void and he held his arm up, Luffy reached him and regained his normal shape. Immediately, he tried to put some distance away from him and the man, attempting to stretch. Except, he could not. "What?" Luffy said baffled.

Teach smirked, already knowing what his opponent was thinking.


	17. Scene 17

**Author's Note: The fight continues on! Will Ace and Luffy be able to beat Blackbeard? Find out... Now! And as always,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 17**

 **Through the Fire and Darkness**

"Surprised?" Teach asked Luffy knowingly.

Indeed surprised, though more confused and shocked, Luffy stared at the man baffled; why couldn't he stretch? "What the hell did you do to me?" he asked frustrated.

Teach's grin widened. "This is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, Straw Hat Luffy," he stated malignly. He then smashed the formerly rubber man into the ground.

"The power to bring all to nothing!" Teach roared out rapturously.

Upon hitting the ground, creating a crater in the process, Luffy immediately felt an intense amount of pain; much more than he had been accustomed to. He even coughed up a small amount of blood.

Ace witnessed this and was shocked. "Luffy!" he shouted fearfully. A fire began to form in this hand until it formed a bright orange spear.

"St. Elmo's," Ace shouted as he reeled back. "Fire!" He then threw the spear. It traveled fastly across the distance and it struck Teach in his shoulder.

Teach screamed out in pain immediately. He stepped back and fell to the ground, rolling around in agony of the searing hot fire spear.

This gave Ace time to run up to Luffy. Once he got to the crater, he swiftly checked over his little brother. "Luffy," he spoke concernedly. "Are you alright?"

Coughing a little, Luffy propped himself up. "Yeah," he stated sorely.

"What happened?" Ace asked immediately.

"I don't know," Luffy stated confused. As he stood back up, he quickly had a look of frustration on his face along with confusion. He then explained, "But when he grabbed me, I wasn't rubber anymore."

"What?" Ace gasped in shock.

Overhearing the brothers, despite being in pain, Teach shouted out, "That's right!"

Luffy and Ace looked back at Blackbeard, immediately on guard. They watched as the man rolling on the ground suddenly produced more of the dark smoky substance from his body. It wrapped around the fire spear and absorbed it. Despite the spear being gone, the wound it had inflicted was still there. As the smoky dark substance was produced from Teach's back, the man stood back up, heaving heavily, and looked back at the brother. Both of whom were completely speechless.

Recovering, Teach continued speaking with a sadistic grin, "My Dark-Dark powers are completely unique from most other Devil Fruit powers in existence. Even among Logia types."

"Logia?" Ace repeated confused. "That can't be right, mine and Luffy's attacks would've just gone through you then."

"Yeah," Luffy said, familiar with general Logia abilities.

Laughing out ecstatically, Teach then replied, "Right, but like I said this Devil Fruit is unique. Darkness swallows in everything around it from punches to fire. But unlike you, Ace, I can't just turn into my element, and the pain I absorb is twice that a normal human would suffer. But it's all worth it for the ability to render all Devil Fruit powers useless!"

Then, Teach extended out his hand again. It was soon covered in darkness while the man began smirking victoriously. "Your turn, Commander!" He declared before shouting out, "Black Vortex!"

Immediately, Ace felt a forceful pull on his body. He tried to fight back, but the pull of gravity was becoming too great even for him. His feet soon lifted off the ground and he began hurdling towards Teach; specifically, to the man's hand. With only a few seconds left before reaching Blackbeard, Ace had to act quickly.

"Saint-!"

"Gum-Gum Pistol!"

Before Ace could form his fire spear, he heard his brother's shout soon followed by his flying fist going right past him and faster. He watched as Luffy's punch met Teach first and knock the man, and his hand, back. Instantly, the pull of gravity on his person ceased and he landed back on the ground firmly. Ace immediately felt relief and looked back at his brother as his arm retracted back to normal. Seeing his little brother's triumphant grin, Ace smiled as well.

"Thanks, Luffy," Ace said with gratitude.

Luffy's first response was a chuckle. He then replied, "He's not so tough, especially since I can punch him."

Ace couldn't help but agree, silently. Regardless though, he still held concern for Teach's ability. "Don't get too cocky," he told his brother. He then added, "Teach was able to live on Pops' crew for twenty years, and was even able to give Shanks those scars on his eye."

Luffy gasped immediately in shock. "What?!" he said. "He's the one who gave Shanks those scars!"

"Ze-hahaha!"

The distinctive laugh of Teach soon brought the brothers' attention back to their opponent. They watched as Blackbeard rose back up, now bleeding from the head a little, and was grinning and laughing maliciously. Both could tell that the man had thought of something sinister.

"Not many people know that I'm the one who did that to that upstart," Teach said impressed. He then continued as he spoke with respect, "To be fair, he still defeated me back then or else he wouldn't be one of the Four Emperors now."

"Of course," Luffy stared confidently, still looking angry at Teach. He then added proudly, "Shanks is the greatest pirate I've ever known."

Teach laughed out again. "Ze-hahaha," he then spoke, "with the plan I have in mind, Red-Hair's days will be as numbered as Whitebeard's."

Ace raised his brow with concern. "What exactly are you planning, Teach?" he asked suspiciously.

Grinning sinisterly, Teach replied, "Wouldn't you like to know." He then clapped his hands together. Darkness began covering them as then held them out towards the brothers.

"Double Black Vortex!"

Instantly, the two men were pulled in by the gravity. The two of them yelped as they were forced forward. This time, however, neither was going to let the man catch them. Together, they both attacked.

"Gum-Gum Stamp!"

Ace kicked forth as well. "Kick Burner!" he shouted, and immediately a stream of fire launched out from his foot.

Seeing the attacks, Teach quickly ceased his gravity pull on the two. Then, with his left hand, he produced his own stream of darkness. "Leviathan!" he shouted out.

The stream of darkness suddenly transformed itself into a serpent-like creature. It then opened its maw and guzzled down the fire stream without hesitation. It did so until Ace cut off the source once he was free from Teach's gravity pull. Luckily, as Blackbeard had only been concerned about stopping only Ace's attack, Teach was hit by Luffy's foot attack. Again, the man was sent falling back and screaming out in immense pain. Like Ace, Luffy too had been freed from the gravitational pull of Teach's powers and he landed firmly on the ground. Standing together, both brother's stood on guard knowing their opponent was far from finished.

As predicted, Teach stood back up. His cocky grin now replaced with a dissatisfied frown. "Looks like two opponents is still a little tricky," he commented to himself seriously.

Luffy began grinning confidently. "He ain't so tough," he commented.

"Enough play!" Teach roared out for everyone to hear.

As the other fights had gone one, each member of Blackbeard's crew stopped what they were doing. Likewise, the Straw Hat crew did the same. Everyone watched as Teach raised his hand up high, which made his crew realize what he was about to do.

"Get to high ground!" Burgess shouted before immediately running.

Quickly, the rest of the Blackbeard crew did the same. Van Augur dodged one of Usopp's shots and took off quickly towards the village. Despite being blown up earlier, Doc Q rode Stronger towards the village as well. Finally, Laffitte took off flying with his unique ability, leaving several images of Nami, Mika, and Akio behind in confusion. All of them then jumped onto either some of the building in the village or a rock outcrop in the area.

Disappointed in losing his opponent, Zoro looked at Blackbeard. He commented confusedly, "What's going on?"

"Black Hole!" roared Teach before throwing his hand down.

Immediately, darkness began to spread from Blackbeard and it stretched out across the area. Before the Straw Hat crew and Ace could react fast enough, they were already captured in the darkness. They tried to move even after being caught, but they soon found themselves unable to do so. Worst, after a few seconds of struggling, they began to notice that they were sinking into this darkness like it was quicksand.

"Oh no!" screamed out Chopper - still in Walk Point - and Usopp, who was still riding on his friend's back, in fear.

Teach laughed out maniacally, "Ze-hahaha!" He felt that his victory was assured.

"Fire Fist!"

Except, it wasn't. Without a moment's hesitation, Ace had released his epithet and signature attack. The large column of flame was launched out from the man's fist and arm and was hurled straight at Teach. So large and so fast that the man known as Blackbeard had little time to use his power to stop it. The flames engulfed and knocked back the large man, his dark field instantly dissipating as a result. All those trapped in the darkness were immediately freed and left standing where they had been. None had been sunken into the ground as they had been sinking into the darkness itself. While the rest of the Straw Hats were relieved, the fighters Ace, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji kept their guard up and eyed the captain of the Blackbeard pirates. There wasn't much to fear yet as the man hollered and yelled out in pain as flames burned and seared him.

As Burgess attempted to climb down, as did the others in his crew, he shouted out worriedly to the darkness man, "Captain!"

While Teach continued screaming, he consciously activated his darkness power. A stream of smoke-like darkness flowed from off his back and immediately wrapped around the flames on his body. The fire was instantly absorbed leaving only a few burns behind on Teach. Now that the pain was gone, he was able to move again. His cocky attitude now replaced with frustration and impatience as he stared at his former crewmate and the rookie pirate crew.

"Dammit all," cursed Teach angrily.

Ace spoke, "It's over, Teach. I'm not letting take my family." Then, he spoke more grimly, "And I'm not letting you leave here alive."

Teach soon stood up. He shouted out frustratedly, "I'm far from finished!"

Then, a new voice spoke, "No, you are done here, Blackbeard."

Everyone froze in shock as they recognized the voice. Slowly, they all looked up as that was where the voice came from. There, on top of rock monument, was Shiki looking down at them all. A lighted cigar in his frowning mouth and his disgruntled gaze looking at the whole group. The rest of the Straw Hats, minus the children, now went on guard as well upon seeing the flying pirate here. Even Nami, despite being the target, prepared herself to defend both her, her children, and the crew. None of them were going down without a fight.

"So," Ace spoke while looking at his new opponent. "That's him…"

"Yeah," Luffy stated with a nod. "That's Lion Guy."


	18. Scene 18

**Author's Note: Merry Christmas Eve everyone! And of course, Happy Birthday Chopper! From here on, chapters will be coming out on a daily basis until the new year or pass so. Look forward to them! As always...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 18**

 **The Lion's Hunt**

"So, I come all the way here to pick up my new crewmate after sending one of my allies down to retrieve her…" Shiki then eyed down directly at Teach, looking unamused with him. "And here I find you and your crew, Teach, without my crew member and playing with these young pups."

Becoming nervous, Teach quickly apologized. "S-Sorry, Boss," he said humbly. "I was just about to finish this..."

"Your time is up," Shiki declared quickly, showing little regard. "I have a schedule to keep."

"R-Right," Teach agreed obediently.

"Now then," Shiki said jovially as he looked at the other pirates. He eyed the young man with Whitebeard's symbol on his back specifically. He then asked, "Tell me, boy, what does Whitebeard want with me?"

"Nothing." Ace answered.

Shiki raised his brow with intrigue. "Nothing?" he repeated curiously.

"I'm here of my own accord," Ace stated clearly. He then began showing a bit more anger as he told the flying pirate, "I was here to finish off Teach…"

Immediately, Teach gulped nervously. He then began moving and leaving the battlefield altogether.

"But now, I'm gonna make sure you stop picking on my little brother's crew," Ace added with serious convictions.

Oddly, Shiki began to grin. "Your little brother, huh?" he asked rhetorically, already having pieced two-and-two together. He then stated, "Then, Whitebeard will have nothing to be angry about if I discipline one of his meddling crewmates for him."

Ace clenched his teeth angrily. Despite not being an actual insult, he felt that this old pirate was still mocking the man he respected as a father.

"Lion Guy!" Luffy shouted suddenly, gaining Shiki's attention. He then stated determinedly, "Nami isn't joining your crew."

Keeping his cocky grin, Shiki took out his cigar and cleared the ash from its burnt end. He then responded to the young man arrogantly and calm, "That's up to her to decide."

Regardless of how much she believed the man to be wrong, Nami became worried hearing how confident the old pirate was acting. She felt like this next battle was going to be on another level from before. Since the effects of her Fata Morgana technique had already worn off, both her and the children were exposed. Cautiously, she took the children by the shoulder and began to lead them back towards the village. As she could feel them, she could tell that Akio was shaking, most likely in fear. Her daughter was stiff as a board. Perhaps worried about her father and uncles. Whatever be the case, Nami just knew that they needed to leave.

"Ah, ah!" spoke Laffitte's voice playfully.

When Nami turned to see the village, she was shocked to find the other Blackbeard pirates already cutting off their escape. All but Teach was there. None of them moved to either move away or approach her. They looked rather content where they stood.

"You will not be going anywhere, Miss. Navigator," Laffitte said amiably.

"But we won't lay a finger on you, Girl," announced Teach jovially as he joined his crew.

Nami eyed the large man suspiciously. "Why not?" she asked.

Teach chuckled. "Since Shiki is here, we'll watch to see which way fate will swing," he told her enthusiastically.

"And don't you think of helping them either," Burgess stated with a cruel grin.

Scared, Mika looked up to her mother. "Mama…" she spoke worriedly.

Immediately, Nami went down and hugged her daughter. Attempting to comfort her the only way she can, and hoping to any higher power that Luffy and everyone can win.

"I don't care what kind of pirate you are," Luffy spoke out mightily. "I won't let you take Nami again."

Shiki laughed out loud. "And what are you gonna do about it?" he asked back fiercely.

"Break you in half!" Luffy roared furiously.

Instantly, the whole group of fighters charged forward. All of them ran; Usopp too as he had dismounted off of Chopper to allow him to fight as well. The first to act was Luffy, stretching his arm out forward to grab the rock Shiki was on.

"Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted before launching forward. His other arm held out as he flew straight at Shiki. "...Sickle!"

Easily, Shiki floated up and forward. Dodging the rubber man's attack, and now floating out in the open.

A perfect angle for Usopp to take a shot. "Special Attack, Firebird Star!" Usopp shouted before releasing his sling.

Seeing the fire coming out, Ace had an idea. "Let's make it bigger," he stated enthusiastically. He then pointed two fingers at Usopp's attack, wearing a wily smirk. "Fire Feed," he commanded.

A thin stream of fire short forth from his fingers. It traveled fast and connected with the newly-formed firebird. Instantly, the bird grew in size fourfold. The attack, giving out a mighty roar like it was a living being, then rushed forward as a blazing inferno.

It had been impressive, Shiki thought amusedly. Yet still, the man was not threatened by the large attack. He immediately launched out two air slashes at the firebird in a cross fashion. "Slashing Wave," he proclaimed.

The two air slashes sliced through the fiery bird and divided it four. Losing all its momentum, the fire attack began to dissipate. Though it had failed to hurt Shiki, the attack did make a decent cover.

"72 Caliber…" Zoro announced as he swung two swords outward, creating his own air slash. "Phoenix!"

Shiki saw the large incoming air slash as it flew through the dying flames. Quickly, he used his own swords to block and break the air slash with skill and ease. So busy he was with those in front of him, he hadn't noticed one of the Straw Hats get behind him.

It was Chopper, and he was preparing for his attack. "Rumble," the reindeer said before munching on one of his special pills. Once ingested, Chopper was ready. "Jump Point!" he said before transforming into a tall and lean body. He then jumped straight up, right behind Shiki.

"Arm Point," Chopper said, transforming immediately. From a lean body to an overly muscular form with thin legs and hooves for hands. He then placed his hooves together and launched out a fury of hoof-shaped punches before Shiki could react. "Cloven Roseo Metel!" he shouted valiantly.

His bushy golden hair received most of the impacts, but Shiki had felt each hoof punch. He had grunted immediately with pain from the attack; yet, he remained floating.

Thus, Sanji took his shot at the floating man as well. Leaping off one of the protruding rocks, the chef soared towards the old man. Then, he sent his foot out to attack the man head-on. "Poitrine Shoot!" he shouted as he landed his kick hard on Shiki's chest.

Or so he thought.

Despite taking the kick, Shiki didn't look at all in pain; in fact, he was grinning. "Impressive teamwork," the man commented as he held the man's foot securely. "It takes a lot just to get me to use one of my hands." He then began to smirk connivingly.

"But now that I am," Shiki stated, throwing out one of his hands out in preparing to attack. He then declared viciously, "Don't expect me to hold back!"

Sanji immediately gritted his teeth, preparing himself for the attack to come.

As he landed on the ground, still in Arm Point form, Chopper looked up to see his friend in trouble. "Sanji!" he shouted out worriedly.

Near Chopper, Zoro was ready to use the full might of his three-sword style. Before he could though, someone else stepped forward.

"Fire gun!" Ace shouted, releasing a stream of fire bullets from two fingers on both hands.

The barrage of small fire bullets flew through the air straight at Shiki. The "Golden Lion" fastly noticed this. He let go of Sanji's foot, allowing him to fall and began quickly floating away from the stream of fire bullets. As he did, he failed to notice another attack.

His hand still on the rock monument, Luffy had stretched back again for another launch. Once far enough, he shot forth. His shouting being faint until he came close enough to Shiki. "Rocket!" he shouted in full, before colliding into Shiki's back with his entire body.

"Woah!" shouted Shiki, flying off uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Mika cheered. "Yay!" she hollered excitedly. "Go, Daddy!"

"Go everyone!" Akio added, cheering as well.

Overhearing the girl, Teach looked at the group surprised. "Daddy?" he questioned interestedly.

Luffy soon landed back on the ground. He looked around and asked, "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah," answered Sanji coolly.

Already on guard, Ace warned, "It's not over yet."

Suddenly, Shiki appeared in front of Ace, catching him completely by surprise. The man was grinning maliciously and spoke, "Damn right!" He then used his sword-leg to slash at Ace.

To everyone's surprise, even to Ace despite being prepared, the sword cut the young man right across the chest. Blood - his blood - gushed out from the wound. The rare sensation of pain overwhelmed his senses and he nearly fainted. He did fall back as he could no longer support himself in this state. Luckily, Luffy caught him.

"Ace!" Luffy gasped out in shock.

"What?!" shouted Usopp also shocked. "But that attack should've gone through him!"

Having watched this, Teach gave out a hearty laugh. "Ze-hahaha!" He then commented out, "Shiki's Haki is pretty strong."

Not paying attention to the man, Nami could only gasp in horror seeing her brother-in-law fall. Her worry growing more, she held the two kids closer. For their protection as well as her own support. This fight wasn't going how she had expected it to.

"Now that the most annoying member of your party is down," Shiki proclaimed triumphantly as he began floating up. Once high enough, he threw both his hands out and smirked. He roared out, "I'll take you all out at once!"

As if responding to the gesture, a few small rocks began to roll and move. The group of rookie pirates noticed this but were too late to realize what was to come. Suddenly, the surrounding area around the Straw Hats began to break and form into mountainous structures. In doing so, it completely separated the group of fighters from the onlookers. They all were shocked at the sheer size and scale of this attack. The whole thing was loud as well, attracting the attention of some in the village. Specifically, Xiao and her family. As the little girl looked out the window, she was so shocked by the scene of the forming earth that she fainted. Luckily, her mother caught her, but she too was soon shocked at the sight of the transforming earth.

Seeing his victims trapped, Shiki grinned maliciously. "Lion's Threat," he proclaimed for all to hear. Then, the pirate captain clenched his hands and shouted, "Earth Bind!"

The small, mountain structures immediately turned into ferocious lion heads. Each one somehow roaring fiercely before moving in and encircling the small group of pirates. They blocked any escape route by land. The Straw Hats were trapped.

"Oh no!" shouted Usopp and Chopper - now in Heavy Point form - fearfully.

Outside the ring of small mountains, Nami and the kids watched on horrified. "Luffy!" shouted Nami desperately.

"Daddy!" Mika cried out.

"Everyone!" Akio shouted despairingly.

Acting fast, Luffy tossed his brother to his two frightened crewmates. He then took on one of the lion heads; the one right in front of Shiki. "Gum-Gum…" he roared as he began punching out fastly. He punched out with both arms fast and furiously before finally launching both hands back. Only to launch them both out together. "Cannon!" he shouted.

The attack was powerful enough to completely destroy the one lion head. In doing so, there was now a clear view of the Straw Hats' opponent. Allowing the Straw Hats to make another attack.

"Go!" shouted Luffy quickly.

"Right," said both Zoro and Sanji.

Then, the two men ran toward the opening. Neither of them argued as they both had the same plan in mind. Thus, when they both jumped, Sanji stuck his leg out. Allowing Zoro to land on it as he readied his attack.

"Armee de L'air Power Shoot!" Sanji announced then launched the swordsman forward with one powerful kick.

Aiding them, Usopp handed Ace to Chopper and pulled out his Kabuto slingshot. Pulling on the sling, he shouted out determinedly, "Special Attack, Atlas Comet!" He then let the sling go and launched out his attack.

From one shot, four smoking pelts soared through the in four separate arcs. The attack flew faster than Zoro and soared around the man. All four pelts began to converge onto Shiki; however, the floating man flipped forward just before they collided and exploded.

"Nice aim," Shiki commented mockingly. "But you'll have to do better than that!"

Zoro was eager enough to oblige the man. "Three-sword style," he shouted determinedly as he soared towards Shiki. He positioned himself so all his swords were pointing at the floating man. He shouted, "Bull Demon Courageous Talons!"

Just as the swords went to strike, Shiki easily blocked the attack, much to the swordsman's surprise. Becoming uninterested, the old pirate captain told the man, "You guys aren't even worth killing." Then, Shiki punched Zoro hard back into the center of his large attack, crashing right in the center.

"Zoro!" shouted Luffy in consternation.

The walls of dirt and rock began to enclose around the group. Again, Usopp and Chopper freaked out, sensing their impending doom. Sanji refused to give up and tried to climb the large mounds of dirt; unfortunately, the mound was not stable enough to climb. The chef thus fell back into the center. Soon, the once open sky was covered with dirt and rocks formed into lion head, and they hurdled down into the center to finish off the young pirates. It looked to be their doom.

" **STOP!** "

Mika's shout pierced through the earth walls as only seconds behind a wave of royal purple aura also penetrated through. Unlike like last time, the Straw Hats were able to notice it as it lasted longer than a few seconds. They watched as the whole of the attack was engulfed into the aura and stopped immediately. Just after the lion heads had begun their descent into the center to attack thus blocking their only exit.

"We're trapped," Zoro muttered annoyed, paying no mind to the purple hue.

Already, Luffy had a plan. "Third…" he said before biting his thumb. He instantly felt pain and yelped, "Ouch!" The man then looked at his hand puzzled and spoke confusedly, "What the…"

"Ch-Chopper!" Usopp shouted astonished.

Following immediately, there came a howl like from an animal. For it indeed came from an animal; Chopper. For whatever reason, Chopper had transformed in his Walk Point form and began behaving wildly and panicky. Usopp immediately ran over to try and calm his friend, but Chopper seemed only more afraid of the man.

From nearby, Sanji recovered from his fall and noticed what was going on near him. He asked, "What's going on with Chopper?"

"I don't know," Usopp stated with befuddlement.

Zoro then pointed curiously, "Why are Luffy, Chopper, and Ace glowing?"

Just as everyone noticed this fact, the purple aura began to recede. As it passed over the group, the glow fell from the three Devil Fruit users. Instantly, Chopper stopped his animalistic panicking and hollering. He looked to be back to normal but very confused.

"Um," Chopper spoke up perplexed, especially since he noticed he was in Walk Point. "What just-"

Without warning, a large and flat rock crashed through the roof of the newly-formed cavern. Collapsing everything around them. The Straw Hats had no escape and little time to react.


	19. Scene 19

**Author's Note: Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, everyone! Hope everyone got something good! Unfortunately, this chapter ain't so merry...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 19**

 **Tough Deal**

"Luffy!"

Crying, Nami stared in anguish as she witnessed the large rock crash down upon the small mountain that had been formed by Shiki's attack. In her arm was Mika, unconscious and soundly asleep. She, as well as Akio, watched in horror as the rock fell like a weight in water straight down on top of their crewmates. Never stopping once until finally reaching the base of the once tall mound of dirt and rocks. Dust covered around the rock making it impossible for Nami to see if anyone made it out. She hoped beyond hope that someone did; but, as the dust began to settle she could see no one.

Nami then fell to her knees, keeping her daughter on her arm, as her tears ceased flowing and her eyes held nothing but despair in them. "No…," she said softly, hopelessly.

"Ji-hahaha!" Shiki laughed at the sight of his mayhem. He had really enjoyed that small tussle with the young pirates. Now though, with him seemingly crushing his enemies, he had something new in his sights.

"So," Shiki said eagerly and looked down towards Nami. Specifically, he stared at the little girl in her arms, and he grinned zestfully. "That's the one with that kind of Haki," he muttered.

Then, Shiki began to descend downwards toward Nami. While he did this, Teach and his men stared nonplussed at the little girl. All of them looking speechless.

"That girl…!" spoke Burgess flabbergasted.

"Straw Hat's child," Van Augur stated knowingly.

"My," Laffitte said astonished.

Doc Q coughed then commented, "She has that gift…"

Looking at the mother and child and appearing disturbed, Teach too responded, "Straw Hat's too, huh…"

Once Shiki landed on the ground, his sword legs making a metallic clink sound, he began to walk over to Nami and the kids. As he did, he looked over to Blackbeard and his crew and he flashed them a cocky grin. "That's how you put down upstarts, my friend," he stated patronizingly.

Forgetting his own concern, Teach looked at Shiki and chuckled humbly. "Yeah," he said casually, "sure put me in my place."

"Good," Shiki said confidently.

As Shiki approached her, Akio quickly rushed in front of Nami. His arms held out like a shield despite obviously shaking with fear. He thus announced courageously, "I won't-!"

Sparing the child little thought, Shiki pushed the boy off to side hard. He wasn't even worth getting even a little bit serious.

Nami snapped out of her despair hearing the Akio's shout but was too late to protect him from Shiki's forceful side push. All she could do is scream out, "Akio!" Seeing the boy get hurt, her anger made her want to fight. She set down Mika and quickly held her Perfect Clima-Tact up threatening towards the old pirate captain.

"If you think I'll-!" Before Nami could finish, Shiki's hand was already around her neck and choking her. His hand then pulled her forward and up, so the man could look at her clearly.

"Oh. I have a new deal now, Nami baby," Shiki stated maliciously.

Being choked, Nami was unable to speak.

Thus, Shiki brought her close to his face, showing her his great malevolence. "I'll be taking your daughter in your place," he stated cruelly.

Despite still being choked, Nami let out an audible gasp of horror. She was then released from Shiki's grip to fall to the ground. Landing feet first then collapsing down, the orange-haired navigator coughed out as air now flowed normally through her lungs. Before she could fully rest, she could hear Shiki walking forward and she knew instantly what for.

"Wait!" Nami shouted quickly. She had attempted to grabbed the man's clothing but found her body could not move yet. So, with an outstretched arm, she shouted out desperately, "Leave Mika alone! It's me that you want, right?!"

"I did," Shiki answered but continued walking forward. He then stopped right in front of Mika, staring down at the sleeping girl with great zeal. Throwing his arms out in triumphant, he announced to all enthusiastically, "But this little girl of yours is gonna be the keystone of my new empire!"

"What!" shouted Nami horrified.

Shiki then began to speak fanatically. "That power, the very power to control the devils themselves that reside in all Devil Fruits! A once in a generation Haki ability thought to have gone extinct long before our time. The ultimate Haki ability, the Sovereign's Haki!"

Still confused, Nami only replied, "What?!"

"To think it would appear at a time before my greatest triumph!" Shiki said astonished. He then proclaimed, "Truly, destiny must have decided that it is now my time to shine!"

"And it'll all start in the East Blue, tonight!" Shiki declared eagerly.

Nami gasped. "No!" she shouted defiantly.

Then, there came a loud, echoing voice.

"Shiki!"

Everyone turned back to the giant rock. They all recognized that it was Luffy's voice, but none of them could see the rubber man. Upon closer inspection of the rock, however, the group had only then noticed that the rock had not touched the ground yet. It was being held a few feet in the air by some unknown pillar.

"Huh?" Shiki said confused.

The "Golden Lion" and the others soon peered through the crevice to see what could be strong enough to hold up such a large and wide rock. As the last of the sun's rays began to peer over the horizon, they shed light into space beneath to reveal what was holding the rock up. It was Luffy, putting all his strength in keeping the rock up. And Zoro, applying all his weight training to aid his captain. There was Usopp too, who used as much strength he could muster to give his crewmates a helping hand. Sanji, of course, was helping out as well even as he stood next to the green-haired swordsman. In his Heavy Point, Chopper used this form to its fullest to save all their lives. Lastly, waking up in the nick of time, Ace too applied his strength to save his brother and his crew from being crushed. Together, the combined strength of these men held the rock back from crushing them. Unfortunately, that was all they could do.

"Don't you dare touch her Shiki!" roared Luffy furiously.

Nami gasped with joy. "Luffy!" she called out happily, tears still flowing only now in joy.

"Well," Shiki said impressed. "I didn't expect that now." Then, he raised his hand up and twisted it ever so casually around.

Upon his command, several chunks of earth broke from the ground and began to float. Small chunks collided together and began forming into three large boulders. The newly formed boulders then floated their way over the large rock pinning the Straw Hats and Ace down. They, fortunately, remained floating there, but ever threatening to descend down and add weight to the rock that would finally crush the pirates.

This is what Nami realized witnessing this. "No!" she shouted out desperately at Shiki.

Grinning maliciously, Shiki stated, "Then give me the child, and I'll spare them from being crushed."

Nami went silent immediately, utterly horrified. To choose between giving up her child or giving up her crew, brother-in-law, and love of her life; it was all so unfair. She began grinding her teeth in anger as she stared at the man venomously.

Shiki chuckled, completely unaffected by the woman's glare, and raised his hand out. "You're running out of time, Nami baby," he told her sinisterly. He then began to lower his fingers slowly.

Responding, the boulders began to descend down. Slowly, making for dramatics to entice the orange-haired into a decision. Of course, Nami had noticed this and was starting to panic.

"Wait!" Nami shouted, attempting to reason with the man.

Then, there came a shout from Usopp. "Nami!" He then continued shouting out blindly, "Don't go with Shiki! We'll get out of this!"

Nami looked at the rock in shock. "Usopp," she said breathlessly.

"Don't worry, Nami!" Sanji began to shout as well, blind as well to what was happening outside. He then shouted out again only now sounding to be struggling, "This...is...nothing!"

"Sanji…"

"Don't do anything hasty," Zoro stated with caution, hiding his struggle in lifting the rock.

"Zoro…"

"Wait for us Nami!" Chopper shouted determinedly.

"Chopper…"

"Hold on, Sis!" Ace shouted vigorously, trying with all his might to lift the rock. Not caring that he had let slip such a familiarizing term.

"Ace…"

"We're gonna get out of this, Nami!" Luffy roared out confidently despite also struggling. He then added more saying intently, "And we're gonna keep sailing together until we reach our dreams!"

This time, Nami could not speak. The words of her crewmates, brother-in-law, and love had brought her to tears. They were so determined to save her, despite her no longer being Shiki's target for capture. Not realizing the danger they were still in. They had made her emotional, and they had helped her in making her decision.

"Fine," Nami said bitterly. She then turned to stare at Shiki, looking furious and still very much crying. "You can take my daughter," she told the man.

Still conscious, Akio weakly gasped. "Mrs. Monkey…" he spoke faintly but nonetheless appalled.

Whether she did not hear him or simply did not care, Nami continued speaking regardless. "As long as you spare my crew, you can have my daughter," she said bitterly.

Shiki grinned. "Ji-hahaha!" laughed the man contentedly. He then expressed how pleased he was with the woman, "Good. I'm sure it's a tough pill to swallow, but being an adult - and a pirate - means you've got to make the tough choices others can't. It's a hard lesson to learn but a valuable one indeed."

Then, Shiki flicked his hand that had been controlling the boulders. The rocks immediately were sent hurdling away from the larger rock crushing the pirates. All of them crashing harmlessly in the fields and forest.

Despite her mood, Nami was relieved that the immediate danger was gone. She kept looking at the big rock next, expecting it to be lifted as well. Already figuring on what to tell the crew when the recovered. The rock remained unmoving though, which Nami soon became angry and worried over. She thus turned to Shiki, as the man picked up her daughter, full of rage.

"You bastard!" Nami shouted angrily. "We made a deal!"

"Oh, we did," responded Shiki with a sly smirk. As he placed the little girl securely under his arm, he turned back to look at Nami. He then stated, "I promised not to crush them, but that rock is under its own gravity. If it crushes them, then that's their fate."

From the Blackbeard crew, there came cheer from the group. As believers of fate and destiny, they felt it was a just but equally smart move.

Equally as impressed with his own wickedness, Shiki still had one last thing to do. While the other pirates enjoyed themselves in this ironic situation, he began to walk towards the woman. He stuck his hand into his jacket as he neared her, grinning like a madman. Though he noticed the fear in her eyes and stance, he was nonetheless deterred as he pulled out the orange-spotted conch shell; the tone dial. The very same one he had used to communicate with her a week ago.

When the man held out the tone dial in front of her, Nami looked confused. "What?" she asked cautiously.

"I don't want there to be any hard feelings with my new crewmate," Shiki stated seriously. He then told her, "Give your daughter one last message, one that tells of the reality of this world."

Nami stared at the tone dial stunned. She understood what the man meant; he wanted her to tell Mika that they had essentially abandoned her to Shiki. It made her bite her cheek it was so despicable; and yet, she took it regardless. She took a moment to collect her emotions; she didn't want her daughter to worry about her. Once ready, she pushed down on the apex of the shell and began speaking into it.

"Namika…"

And then, the sun disappeared behind the horizon.


	20. Scene 20

**Author's Note: Let's continue on forward,**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 20**

 **Demonstration of Chaos**

As Nami spoke her words into the tone dial for her daughter, the whole village was silent and dark. The people of this village had heard the sounds of battle and remained inside their domiciles for safety. Every explosion, every shout, every shake scared them and felt like they lived outside a war zone. Even when it all died down, none dared venture outside to investigate.

Yet, for some, the knew what had occurred.

Being the closest house to the action, Xiao and her family huddled close together as if this moment would be their last. Then, when it all stopped, they could hear what was going on outside. As Xiao remained unconscious, only her mother and grandmother heard everything. The two adult woman wore deep and sad frowns on their faces. They held a deep regret within; they understood only now how selfish their hope had made them. In truth, they wished no harm would come to anyone, but if it were to rid them of their one true plight they were willing to take it regardless. What was worst was that none of the pirates had mentioned a single thing to them until their little girl did. To think, they were willingly going to let them have this one hope of theirs despite it meaning pain for them. For the two women, they felt so ashamed of themselves.

While the humans hid away, the two animals that had been in town had watched the fight unfold. They were the Booted Mynx and Biri, who were absolutely terrified by what they had witnessed. Biri had hidden behind Xiao's house afraid when the fight had begun, but the Booted Mynx had attempted to join them. That is until it saw the power of its enemies. Its instinct had immediately told it to remain where it stood, on the roof of Xiao's home, and remain quiet. The feline was completely frightened by what it had seen. However, between the two of them, Biri held the most worry for his friends despite having followed its instincts as well. He seemed more than willing to join the fray if he could.

Then, there were the other animals. All had left the playground burrow when the ground shook and the explosions sounded off. All but Bite-Bark, who was still sleeping in the cave. Like the other animals, they too could feel the intense killing intent produced by the fighters throughout their fight and stayed where they were in an effort to preserve their life as well; all very scared. Even now, with all the fighting done, they dared not move forward knowing that a certain human was there. All would wait to see how things went.

Soon though, Nami had finished her message. She then pushed down on the apex of the shell to finish recording.

"Ah," Shiki voiced with satisfaction. "A fine message indeed to leave a youngster about to leave the nest."

Having witnessed this, and heard most of the message, Akio could do nothing but shed tears. He silently cursed his own weakness, but also, mentally yelled at his crewmate for giving up his only friend and fellow cabin kid so willingly.

Meanwhile, Nami said nothing in regard to the man. She just clutched one her gold ringlets that she wore around her rest. Now done, she then turned and walked over to hand the man the shell and finish this painful ordeal. However, before she did, she had one last request.

"Can I at least give one last bit of love to my daughter?" Nami asked dejectedly.

Not surprisingly, Shiki rolled his eyes with disbelief and annoyance; yet, his answer was surprising. "Fine," he told the woman begrudgingly. He then added on quickly, "But make it snappy."

After Shiki took the shell from her, he then held Mika out in one hand. Holding her like a cat by the scruff of its skin only with her shirt. If she hadn't been behaving so dispirited, she would have yelled at the man. Of course, she was, and there was nothing she could do. She just had to make the most of their time now.

"I'm sorry," Nami said softly to her daughter.

Then, she came in close to Mika. Stepping up to the tip of her toes, she cupped her daughter's cheeks and gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead. As she dropped down, her hands brushed against her daughter's smooth skin to her close, taking in the feeling of her little girl one last time. Even brushing by the girl's pockets, one of which suddenly filled with something. She then relaxed down to her feet and backed away; her final request completed.

"Finally," Shiki said annoyed. He then looked over nearby where a Self-propelled Visual Transponder Snail watched them. Curtly but noticeable, he shook his head as if signaling someone.

Shiki then turned to the Blackbeard pirates."Come," he said, "the demonstration is about to begin."

The Blackbeard pirates soon gathered around Shiki and Mika. Using his power, the "Flying Pirate" lifted the ground beneath them and they began to float upwards. As Nami and Akio watched them, they both saw the malicious grins on all the men that gave them a bad feeling about the "demonstration" Shiki had mentioned. Nami instantly knew something was going to happen soon, and that they needed to hurry.

Firstly, she rushed over to Akio. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

Akio said nothing. He didn't even look at the woman, looking very mad still, but he nodded to at least quell any concerns she may have had for him.

Though the boy gave her a cold response, Nami was nevertheless relieved to know that Akio was okay. She then attempted to help the boy up but he dissuaded her assistance and helped himself up. She now felt a little sad about the boy's attitude towards her, but she hadn't the time to persuade him otherwise. For now, Nami had to figure out how to get her crewmates out from between a rock and a hard place.

Then, there came noise like crashing thunder. Everyone's attention, from Nami and Akio to the animals around the village to the villagers in their homes, turned towards the opposite side of the village. It may have been hard for some to see, but many could tell what was in that direction. For in that direction was the line of Daft Green, and one by one they each fell. Upon seeing this, the Booted Mynx took off for the other side of the village.

Obviously, these trees were not falling on their own. This was the work of big, burly, and gas mask-wearing men under the employ of none other than Shiki. They had been in waiting, patiently waiting for their boss' signal. Once given the go-ahead from Indigo, they began the operation. With a squad of men all equal in size and strength, each man felled a tree by their gloved but otherwise bare hands. Each man only about half or a little more so as tall as the trees themselves. As each tree was uprooted and felled, more men of the same body type carried away each tree. They then disposed of them in a pile far from where they had uprooted. They kept doing this until a noticeable hole began to form in the defensive line of Daft Green. Not a big one yet, but the men kept working on it.

Immediately, the Booted Mynx arrived at the scene. In seeing the men, the feline became enraged and dashed forward at them. As it got closer, it got a whiff of the putrid-smelling pollen of the Daft Green and was forced to stop. It immediately jumped back from the smell landing back on the edge of town. At this time, the many animals that also cohabitated in the village arrived. Like the Booted Mynx, they too wanted to attack the men threatening their home but could not since the Daft Green's pollen still permeated the air. They were helpless to do anything.

For the moment, at least.

* * *

Shiki and the Blackbeard crew arrived back at his palace only minutes after the operation had begun. Knowing this, Shiki was already in a hurry to begin his demonstration. He quickly informed Teach to be prepared for the meeting after the demonstration and suggested that his men could come along to see the demonstration. Most of them agreed to join.

"Hey, Laffitte," Teach spoke quietly to his pale navigator. Once he had his attention, the captain then asked the man, "Go check on the ship, will ya? Don't want anyone taking our spoils, bring it up."

Laffitte smiled and bowed respectfully. "Of course, Captain," he said cheerily. He then walked off, a clapping noise made with every step he took.

Shiki allowed this as he too understood the treachery of piracy. He had little time to question further anyhow as he had a schedule to keep. But first, he had to take care of his new crewmate first. He whisked the young girl straight to his palace as quickly as possible. As he arrived, he hurried through the halls until he reached one of his many guest rooms. Carefully, he set the sleeping girl on the bed and hurried out. Once so, two young ladies were already standing outside the door. One of them was Ever, looking both angry and sad.

"You promised," Ever spoke resentfully.

Shiki began grinning cruelly. "You should count yourself lucky," he told the woman cryptically. He then stated to the women, "Make sure the girl is ready for tonight when she wakes up."

Neither girl spoke back, but knowing the danger they both remained courteous and bowed, honoring his command. They then took their leave of the man and headed into the room to tend the girl.

Pleased, Shiki hurried off to continue his work. Once outside again, he flew off to his ship. As he took his rightful spot on his "Island Ship", welcomed by Indigo sitting at a kotatsu nearby, he commanded it to dock off and set sail. It pushed through the water with ease, all the way to the sky that both the water and the island floated so high in. It then traveled down to the only island that remained stationary under his rule, where his guests were patiently waiting for their demonstration. Once docked by the large building, he gave instructions for all to come aboard. Single file, pirates marched onto Shiki's ship with great anticipation. It took a little while but it had fortunately given enough time for Shiki's men to take down enough trees. Once every last one was in, the flying ship took off again. The ship's destination now to the demonstration;

To the village.

* * *

Back at the village, the villagers were coming out of their houses to see what was causing the commotion. Many of them walked out to the edge of town, joining their animal friends but none daring to go further. The animals themselves looked ready to attack, the smell of the Daft Green pollen beginning to fade.

Then, pushing through the crowd of people and animals, Nami and Akio arrived to see more clearly what was going on. Upon seeing the large gap in the line of trees, Nami gasped in shock.

"What are they doing?!" Nami shouted fearfully.

Akio remained silent but did look worried.

Nami then turned to the crowd. "We gotta stop them!" she told them alarmingly.

Since most of the crowd was women and young kids, they were all hesitant to act. The animals, however, looked ready to go.

Then, there came a resounding crash that silenced everything. Everyone looked out towards the ends of the gaps, where the men were finishing off one last tree. The last of them took their trees and began to walk off until disappearing into the night.

"Are they done?" asked Akio cautiously.

No one could answer the boy. They were all paying attention to something more concerning.

Walking into view, Scarlet the gorilla appeared before the village. Unhampered by the Daft Green or its pollen, the maroon-furred, snappily dressed primate stopped just a little past where the line of trees had once been. After taking a whiff of the air again, without a hint of disgust or pain etched in his expression, the gorilla proceeded with his leader's plan. He then began to beat on his chest, producing a large hollow sound. Along with this chest-beating, Scarlet let out a howl as well. Both sounds rang out loudly across the island.

Being an animal, the Booted Mynx understood clearly what the beast was doing. It thus dashed out towards the ape, no longer hampered by the smell of the Daft Green pollen. The feline approached the ape but stopped halfway up the hill when the primate stopped his display. As there was silence now, the Booted Mynx could now hear a low rumble.

Nami, Akio, and all the villagers too heard the rumble, and soon they began to feel it from the ground. From the ground, they all looked up into the distance behind the maroon ape. The forest began to shake and rustle with activity. Soon, bursting out between foliage, the beasts of Merveille charged towards the village undeterred.

"Oh no!" shouted Nami frightfully.

 **STRONG Dex-OVERLOAD! SYSTEM OVERLOAD! OVERLOAD!**

There came many sorts of animals. A boxing penguin, a red zebra that looked like a lion, a stick bug the size of a tree, and a giant weasel with a scythe. From the sky, a herd ibexes descended down from the sky and stampeded forth. A humanlike frog ran towards the village with a bison-camel hybrid followed after it. Also descending down was the Don Kamakiriri. Not far behind was a large spider with a body like a cinnamon roll. Even from the winter lands, two Ettousauruses charged through the forest without regard. Another dinosaur creature came as well; an apatosaurus-like creature that looked groggy and had fur covering its neck. Not surprisingly, the Mammoth Dense was participating with the other animals as well and just as angry. The Fat Lion was joining in too, having recovered from its earlier defeat. Coming along with it was another lion with a flame-like mane. Similarly, the Shimatori too had recuperated as well. There even came scraggly wolf-rabbit hybrid animal. All these animals attacked the village in full force. Every last one of them roaring viciously with unbridled rage.

Instantly, the villagers began screaming and panicking. They all then ran back to their village, fleeing and warning of the impending doom. Soon, all who was left was the animal guardians of the village and Nami and Akio. The latter of whom would not be there for long.

Quickly, Nami grabbed Akio's hand. "Come on," she told the boy hurriedly. She then led the boy back into the village.

As for Scarlet, he took his leave. Not once reacting to any of the animals as they ran past him; in fact, they seem to be avoiding him like the plague.

Immediately upon seeing the stampede of animals, the Booted Mynx attacked the closest animal. It fearlessly attacked the weasel with a scythe and disarmed it of its weapon. The feline defeated the weasel easily after. It then gave out a mighty roar of its own towards the village, specifically the other animals.

Together, the animals of the village howled, roared, screeched, and otherwise roared in response. Most of them ready to fight to protect the village. Only the Armadilleon was hesitant to the call to action having immediately curled up into a ball. Fortunately, the Sarookami took advantage of this and smacked the large, armored ball with his big paw tail at the invading force. It crashed into the face of one of the Ettousauruses. Then, the rest of the village animals charged at the invaders and attacked the closest animal near them.

Unfortunately, there weren't enough guardian animals to stop all the beasts. There were just too many to stop. Those animals not stopped smashed and crashed through the small abodes without regard to who was in them or their own safety. At the same time, many of the beasts went after the people that had attempted to make an early escape. The poor villagers quickly took to hiding the very moment they saw one of the attacking animals. On the occasion, one of the guardian animals would aide the villagers out of the village. Taking on any beast that attempted to attack their people, especially the Sentai Hamsters who lead most of the escapes thanks to their numbers. They were able to lead the people straight to the playground cavern, currently the safest place in the village.

"Thunderbolt Tempo!"

Meanwhile, back to where the Straw Hats and Ace were trapped, Nami stood her ground and defended her crew and family. Commanding her personal weather, she was able to knock out a single beast - one of the ibexes - with her lightning attack. She didn't stop there; immediately, she began making more weather clouds knowing more would come. As predicted, another animal - the Fat Lion - came charging at her.

And of course, Nami was prepared. "Thunderbolt Tempo!" she shouted determinedly as she launched up a thunder ball into the dark clouds. Once it was absorbed into the cloud, it produced a large lightning bolt that descended down and stuck the chubby feline. It was instantly fried and defeated.

Despite her easy victories, Nami was starting to become tired. Doing this routine of creating clouds and then summoning lightning at a moment's notice was exhausting. Yet, she remained determined to protect those she cared about.

Thus, Nami looked back and asked out, "How are they, Akio?"

Far behind her, nestled in between a small mound and the huge rock, Akio heard the woman and looked behind. The fire from the village gave the boy enough light to see his crew and Ace, all still holding up the huge rock from crushing them. Not a single one was faltering, for the moment.

In seeing this, Akio relayed the information. "They're still okay," he said sanguinely.

"Good," Nami said positively.

Unfortunately, that moment of unattentiveness had even one of the attacking beasts an opportunity. The wolf-rabbit hybrid launched out from its hiding spot in the darkness to attack. Nami saw it coming only seconds after and prepared to use her Perfect Clima-Tact defensively. Just before the creature could reach her, an electrified Biri crashed into the beast and knocked it away. He then landed in front of the woman and released a mighty squawk in determination. Showing any beast that he had the fighting power to repel them.

Relieved to see the bird, Nami smiled happily. "Thanks, Biri," she said gratefully.

Biri replied graciously with a short squawk.

As Nami and Biri fought back together against the beasts, neither of them noticed a large object descending from the sky. It was the island ship, and it had finally arrived at the scene. Flying in at an angle, all the pirates that had boarded the ship safely watched the destruction and chaos. Every last one of them grinned at the sight.

"Man, look at those beasts go!" declared one man astoundedly. He then added villainously, "Those saps are completely helpless to stop them!"

"If this is what Boss Shiki has in store for the East Blue," another man spoke with glee, "then count me in on that action!"

"Yeah!" another pirate agreed joyously.

All the pirate aboard the island ship agreed; they would officially support and join in on Shiki's ultimate plan. Now, all that was left was to relish in the chaos of their special demonstration. A sight to behold for such cruel people.

Inside the ship, Shiki grinned victoriously. From his throne, he watched the beast tear through the village and clash with each other violently through the images shown by the video Transponder Snails. Not only this but also what his guest was saying outside his room. He had expected nothing less from these pirates; real pirates, as he believed them to be. Everything was coming together smoothly, and he felt that there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. This time.

"Let's return back now," Shiki declared enthusiastically to his crew. He then began smirking with anticipation.

"It's time to prepare for the ceremony!"


	21. Scene 21

**Author's Note: Forward on!**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 21**

 **The Message**

The show was over. The beasts had all but annihilated the village. Among the destroyed building, bodies of exhausted and/or defeated beats lied motionless. Fully contented by the demonstrations, the pirates began to walk back inside the island ship. As ordered by their leader, Shiki. Having shown them enough, the demonstration of the beasts destructive capabilities had been a rousing success. It was now time for the ship to return back to the palace. To begin the ceremony that would unite these pirates together into a fearsome force. One that would shake the World Government with fear. Shiki couldn't help but be excited about the prospect.

The Island Ship rose into the night and left the ruined village. Moments later, the roar of an engine could be heard echoing throughout. Just outside of the village, there came three people riding on a grasshopper-turned-motorcycle.

 **System reboot. STRONG Dex online…**

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Batta GT-7000. Once an ordinary yet big grasshopper, it was modified by 'Cyborg' Franky. It's leg power now converted to horsepower, this bug can roll at high-speeds to avoid any predator."_

Thanks to the planned destruction of the Daft Green, the large bug had no issue crossing through the area by command of its driver, Franky. As all three pirates - the others being Robin and Brook - rode the bug in, they were shocked to see the destruction in person now. Before reaching the village, Franky stopped the bug from going in. Once stopped, he lifted up his sunglasses to see everything more clearly.

"Damn," Franky said frustratedly. "We're too late."

"What an awful thing to do," Brook said pityingly.

As she looked around, Robin suddenly saw a familiar sight. "It looks just that picture in the newspaper," she commented soundly.

The two men, as they also recalled the newspaper pictures, agreed silently with the woman. To think that these beasts could so much destruction to this village was fearful. The fact that they also took out each other during so was just horrendous. Regardless, they were on a mission. Franky thus immediately willed the living motorcycle forward into town. Hopefully, they weren't too late.

"Oi! Straw Hat!" Franky called out loudly.

"Hello?! Anyone!" Brook too called out in search of their friends.

Robin also looked for their crewmates. She let her more boisterous crewmates call out for them; meanwhile, she kept her keen eyes out for anything that could her crewmates. Especially for the kids, should they be here.

Franky shouts out again, "Is anyone out there?!"

Finally, there came a response. "Guys!" Immediately, Franky stopped the grasshopper-cycle, and they all looked around. All of them recognize that the voice belonged to Nami. They all looked around the area together to find the woman; but instead, she found them. She ran right into their view - her clothing ripped and dirtied - as she came right to them.

"Nami!" Brook called joyously.

Once she saw the group, Nami gasped with joy herself. "Franky, Robin, Brook," she said relievedly. Her expression then became serious. She hurriedly spoke to the group, "You guys need to get other here and quick!"

Without hesitation, the group followed after Nami. Their crewmate led them to where the large rock was that was keeping all their crewmates trapped. They all dismounted and released the bug-machine hybrid, and immediately they looked over the area. There also was Akio, who greeted them in a sullen way while looking at Nami. He was attending to a fairly large bird, who looked exhausted. Regardless, Nami had then explained to them that Luffy, Ace, and the rest of their crewmates were trapped underneath the rock. All of them holding it up so it would not crush them. The Elder Trio was both impressed and shocked by the sight.

"Wow!" announced Franky astoundedly. "Those guys are impressive."

Nami nodded. "Yeah," she agreed solemnly. She then stated, "But they can't keep this up for much longer."

Being observant, Robin noticed that everywhere around this rock and the rock itself looked unscratched. And that Nami looked both exhausted and scuffed up. "Did you defend them from the attack?" she asked.

"Not just on my own," Nami stated. She then looked over to the side, leading her crewmates in the same direction as well. There to the side was Akio helping an exhausted Biri off his back.

Quickly, Nami got back to her point. "Nevermind that though, we need to help the guys out now!" she said urgently.

"You got it, Girly," Franky said readily, smirking confidently.

Brook spoke up politely, "Any suggestions on how we do that without bringing harm to our friends?"

"Yes," Robin said confidently. She then crossed her arms and looked out into the space between the rock and the ground. "Dos Manos!" she commanded out.

From underneath the rock, Robin's hands and arms began to form on opposite sides of the group of men. More and more began to grow and soon two large hands began lifting the rock. At first, slowly; it had been the first time that Robin had lifted something this large. She could feel the weight, but she kept up her ability. For soon, as more arms grew into them, the two giant hands began to raise the rock slowly. Higher and higher it rose, and soon the group could see their crewmates fully.

Except, they all looked frozen in the same position; like they were still lifting the rock. Only when Robin's hands tilted the rock and it crashed into the ground, the ground began to quake and it shook the men into moving. Falling, actually. They all simply fell to the ground, beyond exhausted. Not a single one spoke but all let out a silent relief and gratitude.

"Guys!" Nami shouted joyfully. She then ran out into the area.

Nami looked at each of the guys as she moved in between them. Each one was believing out heavily but still conscious. None of them had a moment to speak to her, only a few could even acknowledge her presence, but she didn't mind. She then ended her check over right at the two brothers. After checking Ace, she went immediately to Luffy. She knelt down next to the man and lifted his head up. As he looked unconscious, Nami was worried that her husband and love may not wake up. Thankfully, the man was able to open his eyes slightly.

Smiling weakly, Luffy muttered out softly, "Nami…" He sounded happy as he continued on to say, "You're here…"

"Yeah," Nami said happily, tearing up a little. "I am."

"Great…" Luffy said joyously though winded.

Ace then spoke up between breaths, "How…? Why did…he..."

"Because she gave up Mika to Shiki!"

Akio's loud shout echoed throughout the area. Immediately, Nami looked over at the boy surprised. With Robin, Franky, and Brook also looking at the boy startled, Akio was glaring straight at Nami expressing both anger, pain, and frustration. Seeing how serious the boy was behaving, the three adults looked at Nami confused and concerned. Likewise, the Straw Hats on the ground looked at Nami with the same confusion.

"Nami?" Luffy asked confusedly and weak.

Suddenly, Nami lowered her head. She looked slightly dejected; yet, she lowered her head all the way to Luffy's forehead. A surprisingly tender action despite the serious assertion. She had her eyes closed for a moment but opened her brown eyes to stare right into Luffy's eyes, who was staring blankly at her. Waiting for her to talk.

"Luffy…" Nami finally spoke, softly but firmly.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on Shiki's base-of-operations, Monkey D. Namika was waking up.

The first thing Mika had noticed was that she was in a bed. A pretty comfortable bed too. Much like what her mother and father slept in, knowing so from sneaking in many times. Thus, her first thought was that she was back on the Sunny in her parents' bed, being treated and spoiled for fainting. Recalling that she had done so, she wondered for a moment why she had fainted. The last thing she recalled was that mean "Shiki guy" was about to crush her father and family, and that she wanted it to stop. After that, nothing. All she could remember was feeling really tired.

Now, she felt rested.

Slowly, Mika began to wake. She opened her eyes to find a bright light already shining down on her. It made her shut her eyes just for a bit but eventually opened them fully. Instantly, she noticed an unfamiliar ceiling over her head. She quickly sat up and soon noticed too that she was in an unfamiliar room; definitely not a room in the Sunny. With no idea of where she was, she began to look around the room for an answer. It was then that she noticed two women in her room just off to the side. She felt instantly familiar with them as they looked like the villagers she met; having wings on their arms and the same kind of clothes. More so, she looked at one of the women more familiar. She looked similar to Xiao.

"You're awake," spoke Ever politely. "Did you sleep well, young Miss."

"Where am I?" Mika asked immediately.

Both women looked surprised by the question. Ever replied regardless, "You're in Shiki's palace."

Mika's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" she shouted. The young girl quickly got out from under the covers and stood up on the bed. She looked absolutely flabbergasted.

"Where's my mama and daddy?" Mika asked frantically.

Ever frowned. "I do not know," she replied solemnly.

Before Mika could ask her next question, they all heard the door open. Everyone went silent, not knowing who it was coming in. It was Shiki, grinning jovially and excitedly.

Instantly, Mika glared venomously at the man. "You," she said angrily.

"Ah," Shiki said casually, completely undeterred by the girl's attitude. He then stated contentedly, "I see my new crewmate is awake."

Immediately becoming complacent, the two women bowed to Shiki. "Yes, Lord Shiki," they said together. They then stepped to the side as Shiki approached the bed.

Shiki asked out in a jovial manner, "Did you sleep well, Baby Doll?"

Mika hurriedly backed away, remaining on the bed though. "Go away!" she shouted curtly.

The Flying Pirate chuckled at the girl's attitude. "Now don't be like that," he said airily. He then took a seat on the bed, attempting to seem friendly and approachable to the girl. As he looked at the girl, he stated to her, "Is that anyway for a young, apprentice pirate to treat her teacher?"

"You're dumb!" Mika stated brazenly.

The insult had barely phased Shiki; he was after all an adult. He had expected resistance which is why he tried appealing to the girl's clear goal of being a pirate. Since that failed to put them on talking terms, he had decided to simply be honest with her. "Hey now, that's not a nice thing to say to the man who took you in."

Still defiant, Mika only continued resisting. She shouted out, "You're also a big-"

Shiki cut the girl off. "Especially since your own mother abandoned you," he told her unrepentantly.

Mika went immediately silent. She stared at the man confused and suspicious. "Like I was about to say," Mika started up again prudently. She then shouted, "You're also a big meanie, liar, stupid face!"

"Denial is to be expected," Shiki commented, shaking his head pityingly. He then dug into his cloak. From it, he pulled out the tone dial and held it out for the girl to see.

Shiki spoke slyly, "Then perhaps this isn't the woman you call 'Mama'." He then pressed his thumb down on the apex of the conch shell.

Instantly, Nami's voice began to speak. _"Namika…"_

Just as quickly, Mika calmed down. "Mama?" she questioned.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ Nami continued speaking, sounding sad. _" But you-"_

Suddenly, the tone dial was snatched up by Mika. "Gimme!" she told the man selfishly, despite it being after the fact. Doing so, she had accidentally hit the button and shut off the recording. Regardless, she took the shell and rushed off the bed to the other side of the room. She continued to glare at Shiki intensely while held the conch shell protectively.

Witnessing this, Shiki only laughed. "Ji-hahaha!" He then commented out, "Greedy little thing, aren't ya? A true pirate spirit! I like that."

Frowning towards Shiki now, Mika also stuck out her tongue at him defiantly. She then returned her attention to the shell. It was such an odd thing that had somehow capture her mother's voice, but it became immediately important to her. Of course, if there was a message in it she definitely wanted to hear it. So, she pushed the button and her mother's voice again spoke the same message.

 _"Namika… I'm sorry."_

Mika looked confused at the shell. "Sorry?" she repeated. "For what?"

"Just keep listening," Shiki advised with slight annoyance.

Obeying, albeit reluctantly, Mika listened on further. _"But you have to stay with Shiki for a while."_

"What?!" gasped Mika shocked.

 _"Your father and your uncles weren't prepared enough to defeat him. We'll end up losing everything if we defy him now."_

Mika shouted at the shell intransigently, "Daddy can beat anyone!" As if it could reply back or change what was to come.

Shiki couldn't help but grin derisively. He would have a few things to say about that but he withheld for the sake of the message. It would be more than enough than any comment he couldn't prove forthwith.

 _"He made a modest offer though...if I let you go with him, he would spare us."_

Immediately, Mika dropped the shell. She kept staring, though, at the shell, now completely unnerved. "Wh-What?" she said flabbergasted.

 _"Sometimes in life, you have to make some hard choices. Especially as an adult, and I've had to make so many…"_

"Mama…" Mika said disheartened, beginning to tear up.

 _"I'm sorry you had to be one of them."_

Now, Mika began shedding her tears. Heartbroken and completely devastated. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, it was so unfair and awful. She began to cover her ears trying to block out the words as well as reality. She just couldn't believe it.

As Mika did this, Nami's message kept going. _"So listen to Shiki. I believe he can take care of you. And most importantly…"_

"SHUT UP!" Mika shouted suddenly, enraged and upset all at once. In her outburst, she kicked the shell over to the wall. The broadside of the shell hit the wall and then fell straight onto the apex button and silence the shell.

"Ji-hahaha!" Shiki laughed out immediately. How he loved to see despair in others.

As for the two women in the room, both of them had been saddened by the message. They also sympathized with the little girl. Neither one would wish this situation on anyone, but to be given a message like that was awful. They both knew, however, that this was just the thing Shiki liked.

"Now do you see, Baby Doll," Shiki said calmly, standing back up. As he walked over to the girl, he kept one speaking. He said, "Your cherished one has abandoned you, all for the sake of hers and your crew's goals."

"That is the life of a pirate for ya though Doing what you want and tossing away silly connections like family or hometowns. To be free of the burdens of law, parenthood, and other such bothersome things. Like raising children even. The last lesson to learn from your parent, Baby Doll. Always be willing to sacrifice something for your own goals."

Now standing next to her, Shiki extended out his hand. While grinning, he told the girl enthusiastically, "I promise you, however, that as my crewmate, you won't be so easily abandoned. I foresee a great-"

"GO AWAY!" Mika roared in anguish, interrupting the man callously. Tears still flowing in heartbroken sorrow.

His grin turned into an angry scowl, Shiki did not like the attitude his new crewmate was giving him. Like any new and disobedient crew member, he would need to discipline them for such an unwarranted outburst. He thus raised his arm across his chest and backhanded the girl across her cheek.

Mika fell back the moment after being struck by Shiki. She landed on her butt with her arms stopping her from falling completely to her back. The pain began to fill her cheek which only added to her suffering. Of course, she began to cry harder and louder. None of this felt fair; if only she could go home.

Having witnessed this, both women gasped. Both thinking the same thought that this man was truly terrible.

Now angry, Shiki had just enough of the crying. "Look, Girly," he shouted loudly in displeasure. When the girl didn't stop, he began to shout even louder. "You're now a part of my crew, I won't tolerate you whining, crying, and bellyaching."

Still crying, Mika's volume lowered slightly. Had she been listening or simply tired, it was hard to say.

Shiki continued shouting regardless, "Now here this, in about an hour's time a huge ceremony will take place and my army will once again be formed. You will be there, dressed up nicely, and be there to witness how real pirates behave. If you think you can cry your way out it, I don't mind showing all my allies how I deal with insubordinate crewmates. You got that?!"

The young girl only responded back by crying louder again. Clearly, she was still not in a mood to listen.

Already done with this, Shiki turned and began to walk out. As he did, he gave a command out to the two women. "Make sure she's ready by then," he said strictly, referring to the hour time until the meeting.

"Yes, Lord Shiki," both women said quickly and fearfully.

With that, Shiki took his leave. Slamming the door right behind him. Though the little girl was still girl loudly, the women were relieved to have that man gone. After her moment Ever determinedly hurried over to the young girl. Once so, she knelt down and comforted the girl the best she could. Hugging her and letting her cry on her shoulder. Ever even stroked the girl's head, hoping it would help as well. The other simply stood by, feeling that the situation with the little girl was handled.

In time, Mika began to calm down. She soon stopped her screaming but her crying continued for much longer. Ever continued to comfort the girl for as long as she needed her. After a while, even Mika's crying ceased. The young woman kept hugging her though, still feeling that the girl was not yet ready. Then, after a minute, Ever felt the girl begin to move. She immediately gave the girl some space while also looking at her to check her other. The young girl still looked sad, even still sniffling, but she was at least calm. Her cheek still red from the attack.

Ever asked caringly, "Are you alright?"

Obviously, Mika shook her head. Silently answering "no".

Realizing the folly of her question, Ever mentally berated herself. She then instead apologized, "I'm so sorry about this. No one, especially a little girl, should have to deal with this."

Despite feeling awful, Mika greatly appreciated the comfort the woman gave her. She soon began to smile thanks to the woman. "Thank you," she spoke softly.

Smiling back, Ever replied back happily, "You're welcome."

"Wow, Ever," spoke the other female amazed. "You're good."

Ever giggled in response. "Well, I do have a little sister," she stated fondly.

Soon, the two women began to prepare to dress Mika up for the ceremony. The room had been given a seemingly endless line of little girl dresses as ordered by Shiki. Together, the two woman sorted through them for something they thought Mika would look cute in. Having fun despite being stuck in this horrible situation.

As for Mika, she allowed the two women to do so without making notice her distaste for dresses. She really wasn't in the mood for it. Even if she felt slightly better, it didn't change the fact that she had been abandoned to a big jerk. Worst, she didn't understand any of it. This was not like her parents, they'd never abandoned her. And yet, as she looked over back at the orange-spotted conch shell, there was the message that had told her otherwise. That awful, horrible, no-good to no end, Mika decided to stuff her hands in her pockets. She had it in her mind to pace about the room angrily as she contemplated all the means things she would say. Some even being the curse words she had heard from her uncles when they occasionally slipped up.

Then, as she stuck her hands into her pocket, she felt something in the left pocket. "Hmm?" She grabbed the object - feeling that it was a ring-shaped object - and pulled it out to see it more clearly. What she had found was a gold ringlet; but not just any ringlet, she recognized this one.

"Mama's…" Mika started to say but stopped herself. She quickly recalled clearly who's ringlet this really belonged to. "Auntie Nojiko's ring…"

In her memory, she recalled back to just a few hours ago. While her mother changed clothes, she had removed a few pieces of jewelry she was wearing. Being curious, Mika had wandered over to check them out. Of course, the ringlet stood out as the most interesting thing and she picked it up. She recalled seeing her mother where it on her arm and she attempted to imitate. Only, it wouldn't stay on like it did for her mother.

 _"Mama,"_ Mika whined out needily.

Before undoing her bikini top, Nami turned to her daughter. _"Yes, Sweetie?"_ she asked curiously.

 _"This thing won't fit on me,"_ Mika stated grouchily.

Seeing what her daughter meant, Nami giggled lightly. _"That's because it's too big for you,"_ she stated before walking over. Gently, she slid the ringlet off Mika and slipped it on her own hand.

 _"See,"_ Nami said as she showed her daughter. _"If you wanna wear one of your aunt's ringlets, your hand needs to be bigger. That way it won't fall off."_

Immediately, Mika's interest was piqued. " _That's Auntie Nojiko's?"_ she asked surprised.

Nami nodded. _"Yes,"_ she said proudly. She then explained, _"Your aunt gave me this before I left with your father, it's a symbol of our bond."_

 _"Whoa…"_ Mika said amazed.

 _"Ya know, maybe one day, I should give you something like that, Mika. Something symbolizing our bond."_

 _"Really!"_

"Yeah!"

As the memory ended, Mika quickly felt something click. She looked at the ring again, double-checking it to be sure. After her check, there was no doubt in her mind that this had belonged to her mother. This, of course, raised the question of how it had gotten into her pocket in the first place. It was unlikely it slipped off which only meant it was purposely placed in her pocket. By her mother, the one who said she abandoned her.

Coming to this conclusion, Mika looked back at the conch shell again. She then walked over to it out of curiosity and picked up. Despite initially upsetting her, Mika had realized that she had not listened to the message to the end. Thus, bravely, she pressed on the apex of the shell again.

The message then began playing.

 _Namika… I'm sorry._

 _But you have to stay with Shiki for a while._

 _Your father and your uncles weren't prepared enough to defeat him. We'll end up losing everything if we defy him now._

 _He made a modest offer though...if I let you go with him, he would spare us._

 _Sometimes in life, you have to make some hard choices. Especially as an adult, and I've had to make so many…_

 _I'm sorry you had to be one of them._

 _So listen to Shiki. I believe he can take care of you. And most importantly…_

Then, Nami's voice went into a whisper. _"Wait for us,"_ she told Mika determinedly. Then adding on even more so.

 _"We are coming."_


	22. Scene 22

**Author's Note: I'm gonna speed things up now. To finish my last prjoect before the year ends**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 22**

 **Off to War**

Cautiously, a number of Sentai Hamsters - composed mostly of those with green circles and one yellow shield - walked up to the entrance of the cave. Each one began searching out, looking out for anything dangerous still in the area. Once done, one by one, the hamster squeaked and saluted signaling the all-clear to the leader. The lead hamster nodded towards all of his fellows and then turned back into the cave. Loudly, it released a squeak echoing down the tunnel.

After a moment, there came a squeak back in response.

Immediately, there came soft noise in the tunnel. It grew closer and closer until finally that which made the noise reached the light. It had been the villagers, and they were moving en masse out of the playground cavern and back outside. The first to come out, after being blinded slightly by the bright moonlight, were shocked to finally see their village. At least, all that was left of it. Many of them began to cry at the sight.

As among the first, Xiao and her family had been stunned too. Xiao's mother and grandmother sat on the ground, hugging each other for comfort. Xiao herself stood by them, crying. She felt so foolish to have so much hope, especially when it all came crashing down around her. Even worst, she still felt bad about what she had said in front of her friends. She hadn't meant to be mean towards anyone, but she so wanted to be free of Shiki. Finally, she was worried that they may never be able to see or speak to each other again. Having heard from her mother, it seemed likely that Mika was gone and Akio may very well be dead with his crew.

"Arf! Arf!"

Xiao looked back as she heard barking. Coming out of the cave was Bite-Bark, rested and completely ignorant of the chaos that had come. They pushed past the people until it stopped out in the open. Curious now, Xiao watched closely as the two heads pointed their noses up and sniffed the air. After a few moments the dog heads sniffing, they appeared to have picked up the scent they were searching for. Swiftly, they took off, and immediately Xiao followed after them.

Keeping up with all her might, Xiao followed Bite-Bark. She had a feeling they were heading right to Akio, whom she really wanted to see. From the edge of her ruined village, she chased after the large dog as it ran across the fields and into the forest. Unfortunately, the canine was much faster than her and she was losing them. Though the Golden Orthrus disappeared into the darkened forest, Xiao courageously went in. She pushed through the tall and hanging foliage as she tried to locate the large dog quickly. An almost impossible task if it weren't that the large dog made so much noise. Though it seemed she would lose her lead, there soon came another sound that informed her that she was close to her goal.

"Bite!? Bark!?"

The surprised and slightly confused voice of Akio loudly echoing through the forest gave Xiao renewed determination. She pushed on further with vigor as fast as she could. Pushing forward fastly, she suddenly reached a clearing. A long, thin clearing that was more like a path than an open space. Xiao looked around in confusion for a moment, wondering if she had missed Akio or just lost. Luckily, Akio spoke loudly again, still sounding surprised and confused.

"Xiao?"

Xiao froze at her spot; he sounded very close that time. She turned to her left, saw nothing, and then turned to her right. There, only feet away, was Akio with Bite-Bark, looking as surprised and confused as she had heard him. She stared at the boy for a moment and soon began to tear up. "Akio…" she spoke out needily.

"What are you doing here?" asked Akio curiously.

Without hesitation, Xiao bowed to Akio. She then proclaimed out apologetically, "I'm sorry!"

Instantly, Akio was taken aback. "What?" he asked confused.

"I'm so sorry for what I and my family said back then!" Xiao told the boy desperately.

It took him a moment but Akio soon understood what the girl had meant. Recalling that memory made him frown a little.

"I'm so sorry," Xiao repeated despairingly. Her tears following freely as she felt awful about those earlier emotions.

Beginning to feel bad, Akio approached the girl. Once in front of her, the boy soon became a bit bashful. He still spoke to her regardless, "Look," he started, "I was mad before, but then Mika's mom said some things."

Xiao lifted up her head. "Huh?" she said confused.

Starting to feel awkward, Akio continued but looked away from the girl with a pout and a small blush. "It's not...wrong to have hope," he stated wisely if not smartly.

"Akio…" Xiao said faintly, a small blush forming on her cheeks.

"Shiki is the bad guy here," Akio stated firmly. "Him, and all his goons."

Then, there came a callout from Zoro. "Akio!" The man then continued calling out, "Hurry up, we don't have much time."

Akio turned around. "I'm coming!" he shouted back.

Curious, and worried, Xiao asked, "Where are you going?"

Turning back to her, Akio gave the girl a smirk. "We're going to get Mika back!" he stated determinedly.

Her eyes widening, Xiao stared at the boy amazed. She understood fully what her friend meant. He, and of course his crew, would fight Shiki. Something she knew would be impossible for her or anyone in her village. Which made her worry if Akio and his crew could indeed defeat Shiki.

Noticing the worry on his friend's face, Akio tried to think of something to comfort her. He soon did, and he turned around to look at Bite-Bark. "Bite, Bark, come here boys," he called to them.

Obeying, the Golden Orthrus walked on over to Akio; happily for the Great Pyrenees head and obediently from the Chow Chow head. When the dog came to Akio, he/they immediately sat in front of the boy. Both waiting obediently for their next order.

"Okay, guys," Akio said to canine encouragingly. "I want you guys to stay with Xiao and her family and protect them."

Bark turned his head confused. Bite nodded and gave a short bark showing his determination.

As for Xiao, she stared at the boy speechless. Then, she finally spoke breathlessly, "Akio…"

"Bite and Bark will protect you," Akio stated confidently. "They had protected my all week."

Xiao began to blush. She had never been treated so protectively before, especially not by any boy. It felt so comforting that Akio was doing this for her.

Then, there came another shout from Zoro. "Akio!" he shouted out impatiently from further away.

"I gotta go, Xiao," Akio told the girl quickly. As he began to walk backward, he continued to shout at her confidently, "Don't worry! We're gonna beat him! Definitely!"

As Akio waved back to her as he left, Xiao did the same waving back at him. When the boy disappeared into the darkness of the jungle, the young girl stopped waving and continued staring at the spot where Akio had been at. Despite being assured both safety and maybe even her freedom, she still couldn't help but still feel worried about him and Mika. Silently, while petting Bark for comfort, she wished that Akio and his crew the best of luck.

* * *

After Akio had caught up, the whole Straw Hat group continued walking further through the jungle. It was eerily quiet; perhaps because most of the animals had just attacked the village and were now tired. Not a single noise was made except for the footsteps from the Straw Hat pirates and Ace. None of them found it odd in the slightest. They were all completely focused on their mission.

They soon left the jungle, arriving at the base of a volcano. The same one at which the Thousand Sunny stared at in wait for her crewmates. When the group of humans left the jungle, they saw their mighty ship in an unnatural setting. They were all happy to see it; for she was very important part of their plan.

Luffy spoke to the crew and brother in a serious tone, "Alright, let's get ready, guys"

"Yeah," the group agreed at once.

As the group moved forward, Luffy suddenly stopped which made everyone else stop. While the rest of the group was surprised that they had stopped, they soon noticed why he did. Standing between the Sunny and them was the Booted Mynx, bandaged up. The feline was staring at them very seriously and with great determination. Of course, Luffy, Nami, Akio, and Ace remembered the creature from before. Nami especially so. She soon informed her crew that it meant no harm to them. The cat then began approaching the group unafraid. Stopping just a few feet away, the Booted Mynx began to speak in its animal speak.

Luckily, the group had a translator. "She's asking if we're going to head for Shiki's palace," Chopper told the group.

"Yeah," Luffy answered seriously.

Understanding, the Booted Mynx looked mighty pleased to hear this. She then let out a small but loud roar out into the night sky.

Immediately after, the jungle around the Thousand Sunny became alive with movement. In moments, animals began walking out. The moonlight revealed them as they did showing that they were all the animals from the village. Like the Booted Mynx, many of them were covered in bandages as well. Despite the many injuries they all had sustained, every animal looked as determined as the Booted Mynx herself. They all began to gather around the humans, stopping just a few feet away with some standing behind the feline.

The Straw Hats and Ace looked around with amazement. Each of them had seen only a few animals at once but seeing all of them together was amazing. All of them - all different animals - working together was astounding.

Then, finally, one last animal appeared. Biri soon flew in from the sky and landed close to the group of humans. Happily, he squawked out to the group and gave them a dutiful salute. He then gave them a determined expression.

Again, Chopper translated. "He says that he's here to help," the young doctor said astonishedly.

The Booted Mynx then meowed out contentedly.

Chopper gasped. "She says they all are!" he translated astoundedly.

"Help?" spoke Robin questioningly. She then asked towards the feline, "Help us in what way?"

The Booted Mynx responded by letting out a mighty roar, which was followed by all the other animals roaring out. Of course, Chopper translated all it for they were all saying the same thing.

"To defeat Shiki."

* * *

At Shiki's palace, the other pirate crews began to file into the building. Every one of them eager to join in the legendary pirate's grand scheme. All of them being watched carefully throughout by security Transponder Snails. Every scene sent to the screens in the main control room where both the many men and Shiki himself watched on. Shiki was particularly watching with glee as he was finally setting his grand plan into motion. It was all immensely satisfying for him.

"Finally," spoke Shiki, "my grand pirate fleet again assembles. It's been some long twenty-so years but now I am ready to strike back at you; the World Government."

The man then chuckled. He placed one of his hands upon his knee as a nostalgic feeling seem to emit from his leg-swords. "My legs are aching with anticipation," he said aloud to himself eagerly.

Then, the door opened. Shiki's attention immediately drew to the noise only to become quickly annoyed with another. The pooting footsteps of Indigo nearly ruined his mood as the doctor jollily walked in. As he saw his leader, Indigo began to move his body and arms into various poses and positions. Not once speaking more than a grunt doing so, and all the while a big grin on his face.

Shiki just looked confused at his right-hand man. Before he could speak though, he heard the door open again. At the same time, Indigo did pause while contorting his body in a way that almost looked like a dance move. Both looked at the door as two ladies entered in; Ever and the other woman from the village. They both presented themselves formally to both men.

"Lord Shiki," spoke Ever respectfully.

"Yeah?" The man asked with concern.

"Miss. Mika is ready."

On cue, Mika entered the room next. No longer in her adventuring clothes, she now wore a black velvet dress with red sash wrapped around her stomach lightly. A black choker was fitted firmly around her neck. Adorned upon it was small, orange rose located to the crook of the neck. She wore a pair of fine black, slip-on shoes on her feet; and finally, she had a gold ringlet - the same one - that she wore on her leg by her ankle.

Impressed, Shiki politely commented at the girl. "Well, aren't you as pretty as a doll," he said contently.

Frowning, Mika was not at all swayed by the man's compliment. "I hate wearing dresses," she stated matter-of-factly.

"After tonight, you can wear whatever you want, Baby Doll," Shiki said unscrupulously encouraging.

Mika immediately stuck her tongue out defiantly to the man.

Unaffected by the girl's attitude, Shiki began to move. "Come, Girl," he told Mika sternly. "It's time for the ceremony."

Shiki then waved his hand at the girls. "You two wait for the girl in her room," he commanded out.

Both women bowed dutifully. "Yes, Lord Shiki," they said in unison.

Shiki and Mika then began to leave towards the other side of the room. The two village girls left out the way they had come in. This left only Shiki's men to monitor the whole palace and left Indigo in his uncomfortable pose. Even after they had left the room, he still held his pose. Then, it finally occurred to the wacky doctor.

"I Was Totally Ignored!"

Of course, Indigo quickly got over it and hurried to catch up with his captain.

Now, the moment had come. After a quick pace through interior of the palace, Shiki and his group arrived at the ceremony hall. Already, all fifty-one captains that he had met his qualifications sat in two, unfortunately, uneven rows with his throne on the other side. While they sat, Shiki and his group walked down the aisle, Shiki grinning pridefully as he did. As they did, a number of the pirate captains curiously eyed Mika as she walked with the two men. None said a word though as they waited for them to proceed down. Then, joining Scarlet the Gorilla who was waiting patiently on the left side, the group took their places. Shiki sat on his throne like a king while Indigo and Mika stood at his right. Nearby, Marshall D. Teach sat by the right side, grinning maliciously and excited. With all the members of Shiki's crew now assembled, the host for this ceremony began it.

"Congratulations to you all for making it this far. Without further ado, let's begin the Shiki Alliance ceremony."

Suddenly, one of the captains - the only female one with periwinkle hair - spoke up. "If I may ask, Lord Shiki," she said before eying the little girl. She then asked concernedly, "What's with the little girl?"

Shiki began grinning. "Her?" he responded with first. "She's my newest crew member."

All the pirate captains began to look quizzically at their host.

"She might not be much other than a youthful face, but she will be the key that will cement my power not only in the East Blue but in the whole world itself!"

Now, all the pirate captains looked confused at Shiki. None of them, of course, had been clued in on Shiki's secret ambition besides his lust for dominance in the East Blue. What he had said now was simply baffling to them.

Sensing this, Shiki decided that the issue was not so important to explain yet. "Don't worry about it, comrades," he told the other pirate captains encouragingly. He then stated cryptically, "You will see her power in time."

While this amazing placated the pirates, Mika had not been so persuaded. Actually, she was confused as to what the man was talking about. She didn't understand a thing about what he wanted her for. Regardless though, she didn't much care and thus kept quiet.

On the other hand, Teach had remained the only one not skeptical of the man. Only intrigued while still keeping his evil-like grin on.

Thus, with that question done, Shiki had decided to add one last thing. "If you all are thinking of questioning my abilities I assure you I do not tolerate traitors, and I will deal with any severely," he stated with clear intent.

Shiki waited for anyone to make a move; just to see if his threat had caused anyone to lose their nerves. After a moment, none moved or spoke. It would seem he quelled any traitorous thoughts from their minds. Now, they could truly.

"Now then," Shiki declared determinedly. "Let us head to the Sea of Stratagems…"

"To the tragedy of the East Blue sea!"

As the ceremony began, all the islands floating suddenly became alive with uncharacteristic movement. From their usual orbit around the center and largest island, they began to gravitate closer together. One by one, each carefully placed next to the other without destroying each other. Even the water that floated on the edges of some islands remained safe as those islands rotated to ensure the waters' place. Soon, the island known as Merveille - once composed of several floating islands - now looked like one whole island. Once all the islands were collected, the whole structure began to move as one. All of it heading for the East Blue in the distance.

The night sky darkened by ominous clouds foreshadowing the dark ambition of a mad pirate. All hope seemed lost as not even the moon could shine through the thick layer of clouds.

Except for a little patch in the layer that allowed moonlight to shine through down the side of a volcano. One that was perfectly positioned at Shiki's main island-of-operations for a flight.

"Let's go, Franky."

"You got it, Captain! Hang on, everyone! Coup de Burst!"


	23. Scene 23

**Author's Note: Here they come! No holding back now, guys**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 23**

 **Pick-up Time**

At Shiki's palace, hundreds of the Flying Pirate's men were out and armed guarding the area outside the palace. Despite it even snowing, none of them looked the least bothered by the cold. Even while wearing a minimal amount of clothing and armor. Of course, again, none seem to care. Not even for their guarding duty. It was obvious to them that no one would ever dare attack their leader along with fifty or so pirate captains. Only a fool would try, every one of the men out in the courtyard thought assuredly.

Then, one of the men caught sight of something. "Look!" he hollered immediately and pointed up towards the moon.

Quickly, every guard looked up. As the moon's light pierced through the encroaching dark clouds, it allowed all the guards to see something impossible; another flying ship. It was clearly not one of their master's design as it was completely made of wood with a very original appearance. Then, as the sail upon the ship lowered, the symbol upon the sail made it all the more clear. It was an enemy ship, and it was heading right for them.

With the added lift provided by the sail, the Thousand Sunny had more than enough propulsion to make it all the way into the courtyard. Just barely enough. Scraping the top of the tall gate, the Sunny descended into the area. The ship landed smoothly on the ground and skidded several hundred feet forward. Along the way, smashing through several of the guards as well. Eventually, the sloop ship came to a halting stop just outside the palace gate. When it finally stopped completely, it fell slightly to its side to the right. Despite having crashed and landed on solid earth, the entire ship looked virtually unharmed. A sight that shocked the guards.

"How on earth?!" shouted one of the guards.

Another guard shouted, "Who cares! Whoever they are, how dare they land their ship in Lord Shiki's palace!"

"Who even are they?!" shouted another man.

As if in response, several figures walked up to the edge of the ship. Their numbers totaling eleven. Then, the ship made a metallic clang and circular side of the ship began to lift up like a garage door. When it fully became up, a plethora of animalistic sounds roared off.

Instantly, the guards felt a shiver for the first time. Not because of the cold but from a sudden occurrence of fear.

* * *

Back in the palace, none of the pirates had heard a thing outside. Thus, the ceremony had been continuing uninterrupted. At the moment, the sake was being poured out for each of the pirate captains. Doing so was Doctor Indigo, holding a very large bottle as he poured the drink into relatively small cups. Already, he had gotten through most of the captains; thus lastly, he came upon Teach. As he poured the drink, he eyed the man suspiciously. Once done, he got to moving back to his spot, putting the sake pot aside. Now, with the drinks passed around, Shiki began to speak again.

"My fellow pirates, as you are all well aware, the East Blue is easily the weakest of the seas in our world. Its demise will be mourned by no one. As such, do as you wish when you arrive."

Shiki gave a moment's pause. Allowing several of the members to snicker wickedly in contemplation of their malicious deeds. After such, Shiki then raised his cup up high.

"Now, let us drink together and begin anew the Golden Lion Alliance!" Then, everyone began to lift their cups including Shiki. But before anyone could take even a sip, a door slid open from the side of the room and stopped them.

"Lord Shiki!" interrupted a man loudly.

Instantly annoyed, Shiki looked at the man. "What is it?!" he shouted out. "Can't you see we're in the middle of a ceremony.

"But sir!" shouted the man urgently now. "It's an emergency! We've been invaded!"

"What?!" shouted Shiki.

In hearing the man, Mika began to grin happily. Almost deviously.

Even Teach, who had put two and two together already, was grinning as well. He then looked over towards the main doors with bated anticipation.

Meanwhile, the palace grounds looked like a war zone. Outside the palace, several beasts - all the village's Guardians - ran about attacking anyone in their way. Actually, only the largest of them were outside; the smaller ones had gone in further. Now the palace itself looked war-torn as the grounds. All about, the Sentai Hamsters scurried around with purpose while the bigger animals took care of the guards.

With the help of the animals, the Straw Hats had an easy time making their way through the palace. Each one of them dressed up in black-themed suits as requested for the ceremony. Briskly, the group came upon an indoor tranquility garden. They then walked down alongside it to some very large doors. As they did, one of them spinning something in their hands producing light blue balls of energy. The balls floated and dispersed quickly throughout the air. Soon, a fog began to fill the area. Just as the Straw Hats reaches the doors.

From inside the ceremony room, the light from outside became dim. So much it nearly darkened the room. The only light left was coming from under the doors that came from outside; from the moon. Immediately, everyone inside could sense that there were many just outside their door. None of them acted instantly as to see what was to come from this situation.

Then, the first move was made. Three, near-instant slashes made three cuts into the door. Only to after being blown from its panel and allowing the bright moonlight and fog to flow forth inside. An immediate chill blew in as well that cooled the otherwise hot room.

Again, none of the pirates flinched.

Next came the other door. A foot burst through rather haphazardly. Immediately after, it looked to be stuck.

"Man, that was lame," spoke a voice (Sanji) in commenting towards the kicker. He then spoke more encouragingly, "You gotta do it like this!"

"Wait-Wait-Wait-Wait!" a voice (Usopp) shouted out quickly to deaf ears.

This time, with another kick, the other door was properly kicked off its spot. It and the previous person who had tried to do so. Luckily, the man in black armor styled like a beetle was fine. He was soon able to get his foot unstuck and he soon joined up in a line with the rest of his group, the Straw Hat pirates. Altogether, there were eight people split in two lines looking out into the hall. All of them wearing black themed clothes unique to their style. Of the Straw Hats, missing were Nami and Akio who were nowhere to be seen.

Among the Straw Hats was also Ace, who was dressed likewise. It was similar to his original only with long black pants and a black collared jacket with blue lining. He wore a belt of ammunition slung on one side of his hip and on the other a silver belt with the buckle shaped like the Whitebeard Jolly Roger. Surprisingly, he wasn't wearing his trademark orange hat. Regardless, he had one thing that the whole group had with them; guns.

Finally, the last member of the Straw Hat pirates entered. Adorning an impressive overcoat with this black suit and red shirt (the same ones from his wedding), his figure looked enlarged by the shining moonlight. Monkey D. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat pirates, joined his crew. Well-armed and very serious, stared out into the room glaring specifically at Shiki. Of course, also in his gaze was his daughter, who was looking very happy. He wanted to smile back at her, ensuring that things were okay, but he knew at the moment it was not the time for it.

As silence filled the room, Shiki first eyed the girl. Seeing her joyous face, he looked back at the Straw Hats again. He then spoke out to them annoyedly, "So, you didn't learn your lesson the first time…"

Not replying, the Straw Hats and Ace began to walk forward.

Shiki then noticed someone missing from the group. "What happened to your navigator, Straw Hat?" he asked rhetorically, grinning mockingly. He asked further, "Did you guys have a fight?"

Luffy looked peeved yet said nothing in response. He instead asked out, "I hear you're planning to head for the East Blue."

Surprised by the question, Shiki played along with interest. "Yeah, I am," he stated, smirking maliciously. He then added, "Along with all my new comrades."

On cue, several panels were removed from the wall. Soon revealing all the crews for all the pirate captains had been armed and in-waiting. All of them nicely dressed liked their captains for the occasion. Every last one of them ready to fight.

Yet, none of this deterred the group. Once in the middle, all of Luffy's group stopped. Luffy then asked another question, "I also heard that Mika joined your crew."

Still smirking, Shiki replied pridefully, "That she did."

"Daddy…" Mika spoke quietly, desperately even.

Luffy hummed a bit in thought. "That's not a bad idea," he admitted vaguely

Both Shiki and Mika responded with confusion, "Huh?"

"She's got a lot of people she wants to meet, it would be a great trip," Luffy continued behaving casually. He then began to grin in a devious way. He told the man, "But that's something that she should do with her family, not the babysitter."

Shiki quickly became annoyed. "What do you mean?" he asked angrily.

Instantly, Luffy smirked. "Too bad for you, Shiki 'the Babysitter'," he said teasingly

Shiki roared out, "What?!" He then stood up, ready to act.

At the same time, it looked every other pirate was ready to fight as well. But before anyone could, each member of Luffy's party raised their guns up. Each Straw Hat aimed out towards the pirates, some even holding two guns like Franky and Ace. Seeing the intruders armed, no pirate dared take a step forward. They had been goaded into action, and now they were staring down the barrel of several guns. Completely tricked by rookie pirates.

And then, Luffy quipped proudly. "You're fired."

Together, the Straw Hat pirates and Ace fired openly into the room. Not a single one hesitated. They blasted both the crowd of pirates and the pirate captains that sat around them. Luffy soon joined his crew in firing. With his own gun, he fired out towards Shiki though none of his shots directly hit the man.

In noticing this, Shiki already had an idea why he was still safe. "The girl!" he shouted in realization before turning. To his great surprise, the girl was no longer by his side.

"What?!" Before Shiki could begin to look around, one of Luffy's shots exploded pretty close to him. It had enough force to knock the man back.

Of course, Luffy had noticed Shiki searching for his daughter. He nothing different though while firing into their enemies, but he did wear a wily smirk now.


	24. Scene 24

**Author's Note: Here they come! No holding back now, guys**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 24**

 **Revenge of the Beasts**

In a long line, one by one, the Sentai Hamsters tossed and handed down sticks of dynamite. None were deterred by the sounds of explosions occurring just in the other hallway. They determinedly kept up the line making sure that these dangerous items made it to their destination.

From the room, the line of rodents carried the dynamite through the palace. With all the focus on the human invaders, and the outside guards utterly defeated, not one human in association to Shiki had any idea of what these militia hamsters were doing. Them, and the other animals as well. For once the dynamite got outside, each of the bigger animals took as much as they could carry and took off further down the line. Like the hamster, they too transported the goods as quickly as possible. Then, as they neared the line of Daft Green, they all tossed the dynamite into the grove. Already, a fair size and long line of piled up dynamite stretched a good distance along the line of trees.

This was more than enough for the task at hand; and yet, the village guardians kept going.

* * *

Back in the palace, we turn not to the Straw Hats and Ace firing upon their enemies without regard but to the sound of hurried footsteps down a hall adjacent. There was nothing to be seen in this hallway; however, that was not the case. Rippling into view, having been hidden by her Mirage Tempo technique, came Akio and Nami with Mika in her arms. Like their fellow crewmates, both Akio and Nami has dressed for the occasion.

For the young boy, Akio was wearing a black suit with an unbuttoned light brown shirt with another shirt underneath it. It was only a plain black t-shirt except it also had the word "Punk" spelled out boldly. As was typical of nice suits, he was also wearing a tie, which was blue. It hung loosely around his neck. He was even wearing nice dress shoes as well.

As for Nami, she was wearing a unique black dress made of crepe fabric. It nearly covered her right arm fully while leaving her left completely bare and allowing her tattoo to be fully seen. The neckline of the dress also extended from around the neck diagonally towards her right but stopping just above her breast. The dress extended just midway down her thigh and lengthened out. She was also wearing calf high, leather wedge heels.

The group duo soon rounded the corner and immediately stopped. While Akio rested against the wall, Nami looked back cautiously in making sure that no one had seen them. Once seeing they were in the clear, Nami gave out a breath of relief.

"Mama…"

Hearing her daughter, Nami moved to make direct eye contact with her daughter, who was still in her arms. Though her daughter was staring at her blankly, Nami was simply happy that her daughter was back in her arms. "Mika," she replied back happily.

The young girl immediately began frowning madly. She slipped out of her mother's arms and stood right in front of her mother. "So," she said crossly while also crossing her arms disappointedly. "You decided to come back."

Nami was surprised by her daughter's attitude. "Um," she said baffled.

"That was really mean what you did, Mama," Mika told her mother, like a parent scolding a child.

Now, Nami began frowning. "Mika," she said sadly.

"You didn't even ask me what I wanted to do," Mika stated angrily.

"Mika…" Nami then asked, "Did you listen to the message all the way through?"

Mika scoffed. "Of course I did," she stated obviously. She then added with equal contempt, "But it was still mean."

Hard as it may be, Nami couldn't help but agree that what she had done was indeed 'mean'. She thus told the girl defeatedly, "I know it was, but I-" Then, without warning, Nami suddenly felt her daughter hug her.

"Mika," Nami said surprised.

"But I'm really happy you all are okay!" Mika told her mother happily, crying a little with joy.

Hearing this, Nami began to smile tearfully. She immediately hugged her daughter back sharing her joy that Mika was okay.

Watching on, Akio too was smiling happily only towards his friends. He had been mad too at Nami a while ago, but after hearing the full story he only felt foolish that he didn't realize it sooner. It didn't matter now; everything was going to be all right. At least, that's what he hoped.

There was still the matter of being in enemy territory...

* * *

Back in Shiki's ceremony room, the sound of gunfire was soon stifled. After mere moments of relentless firing, the barrage of bullets from the Straw Hats and Ace had stopped. Not from them willingly stopping but simply because they had run out of bullets. An issue that bothered the group very little.

"Huh," Sanji said apathetically. "Out of bullets." He then tossed his gun to the side.

Franky smirked. "Oh well," he said gleefully, "that was just a hello." He too tossed his gun aside.

"There's still a lot of them left," Zoro said eagerly. Like the others, he followed suit in discarding his gun.

All the Straw Hats and Ace did the same. After all, they had no real need for guns.

"Usopp, Chopper," Luffy called out, his gaze fixed on Shiki. "Go with the others," he ordered.

Usopp nodded determinedly. "You got it," he told his captain.

Chopper too nodded. "On it," he said bravely. He then immediately shifted into Walk Point.

Quickly, Usopp mounted his friend's back. Chopper then swiftly took off outside.

Meanwhile, the Shiki Alliance began to recover; very quickly in fact. "Don't just stand there you fools!" shouted one of the captains now standing. He then ordered, "Kill them!"

Several pirates - those either strong enough or lucky enough to survive - followed through immediately. Those with guns began to fire at the Straw Hats and Ace. Others grabbed their melee weapons and proceeded to charge forward.

Likewise, so did the Straw Hats. After discarding his access clothes, Luffy began to walk forward calmly at Shiki. The enemies immediately sought to overwhelm the young man. They were swiftly defeated by Robin and Franky in their unique ways. Not once did Luffy flinch or show an ounce of fear or worry.

While Shiki was hardly intimidated by this, one of his men was concerned. "Lord Shiki, you must leave," the man advised strategically.

"Yeah," responded Shiki calmly.

Luffy immediately noticed his target leaving. He quickly stepped up his pace, nearly going in a sprint.

Then, one of the enemy pirate captains loudly ordered out, "Kill their leader!"

Several pirates roared out and attempted to attack the young man. Again though, Luffy didn't flinch or stop. Immediately, Brook leaped ahead of his captain, his violin in one hand and sword in another. Once in front of the charging enemies, Brook raised his sword to his violin and played upon it.

"Lullaby Flanc," Brook called out softly.

Brook began to play his violin with his sword in place of a violin bow. He played soothing music that reached the attacking men. Once the sound was heard, every one of them fell instantly into sleep. As each man fell, they coincidentally and conveniently fell aside to allow Luffy a clear path to Shiki in his now run.

"Hey!" shouted Luffy immediately. He then shot his arm forth and it traveled straight to Shiki. The man had turned on instinct and was met with a fist that sent him down the hallway.

The man leading Shiki gasped. "Lord Shiki!" he shouted.

"Don't think we're not done yet!" Luffy roared with determination.

Despite being punched, Shiki was still very much conscious. Thus, he used his momentum to start flying down the hall fastly. Of course, Luffy went running after the man. He was at first about to be blocked by Indigo but Zoro halted and pushed the man back.

"Don't get in my captain's way," Zoro said seriously.

Next, Scarlet the Ape attempted to stop the rubber man's way as well. Before he could, just like Indigo, he was also blocked and pushed back. This time by Sanji.

"Beat it, you shitty gorilla," Sanji stayed fiercely.

As he ran past them, Luffy spoke out quickly to his crewmates. "Thanks," he said gratefully. Thus, he continued into the hallway after Shiki.

Meanwhile nearby, Teach was sitting back up. Darkness swirled around two wounds he had acquired from the Straw Hats' attack. It had nearly taken him by surprise. Thus, he had now recovered and noticed the chaos around him and reveled in it. Now, as he figured, was the time to strike.

"Fire Fist!" Unfortunately, Teach was intercepted.

Suddenly, nearly a quarter of the room was destroyed by fire. Teach along with several other pirates were engulfed and propelled by the column of fire outward. The flames broke through the wall, into the next, and through several more until finally reaching outside and dissipating. All around the impressive hole - in several sections - lied defeated pirates completely burnt and smoking. At the end of the line, Teach himself was relatively fine; a bit burned, but okay. On the other hand, the same could not be said for his situation.

Stepping right onto the edge of the hole, Ace looked at the man calmly with a steely and determined gaze. "Teach," he said, "we're not finished either."

* * *

"Triple Fire Star!"

As Chopper dashed through the palace while Usopp fired shots from his Kabuto slingshot. Across the way, three pirates - about to fire - were each hit by one explosion. Each one fell instantly after. As Chopper moved forward quickly, two more pirates were attempting to stop him. Using his animal strength, the reindeer lept at the first man, landed upon him, and quickly lept off while simultaneously kicking the man down; instantly defeating him. From that man, the reindeer proceeded to do the same to the other man. Once both were defeated, Chopper landed safely on the ground and took off into a sprint. Throughout, Usopp had been safely secure upon the reindeer's back.

Looking concerned, Usopp spoke to his friend, "Have you found them yet?"

Chopper shook his head. "I can't," he stated nasally, "the Daft pollen is making it impossible to pick up anyone's scent."

Usopp was surprisingly not disappointed by this. "Then we keep heading back towards the Sunny," he said determinedly.

"Yeah," said Chopper.

The two traveled down the hallway and soon turned a corner. Immediately, Chopper had spotted someone as they did. He instantly stopped, which Usopp was not prepared for. The man flew off the reindeer and landed on the floor. He remained on the ground in pain for a moment; until, someone spoke up.

"Uncle Usopp! Uncle Chopper!"

Of course, both crewmates recognize the voice. "Mika!" Usopp and Chopper shouted in joy.

By some luck, Nami's group and Usopp and Chopper had found each other. After a quick exchange of greetings, and some hugs from Mika, the group together traveled through the palace. Mika and Akio taking Usopp's place on Chopper's back for their safety. In no time, they had reached the entrance of the fortress. Unlike the inside, everything outside looked calm and peaceful. The Thousand Sunny lied just in front of them, yet there was activity happening nearby. All of them soon spotted the animals scurrying back and forth.

Mika immediately asked, "What are they doing, Mama?"

"They're repaying the favor back to Shiki," Nami stated vaguely yet smiling knowingly.

While the humans watched, the village guardians were finishing their task. The last of the dynamite was thrown into the pile now nearly as high as the trees. Once done, all the Sentai Hamster retreated back; meanwhile, one lone yellow leader hamster was feeding a fuse from the dynamite towards the palace. It soon stopped and took off with the others. Then, Biri landed where the fuse had ended. Joining him was the Booted Mynx who immediately let out a small roar towards the bird. Biri nodded and he soon began to glow with electricity. His tail feathers began to lift and fan out displaying its tail - or "train" - plumage that was nearly twice as tall as the bird itself. Each feather had the same pattern of eyespots or ocelli upon them. Together, the expanded feathers shined so brightly it could be seen even from the palace by the humans, who were all amazed by the sight. Finally, with all his electricity gathered, Biri lowered his head down and connected his beak with the fuse. Instantly, the fuse was lit and the flame began to travel towards the dynamite. Biri took off in flight, and all the animals retreated back further.

In moments, the fuse reached the pile of dynamite. The first dynamite exploded which in turn exploded all the other sticks near it and then some. In its entirety, the piles of dynamite exploded with several explosions. Each one taking out entire sections of the Daft Green and ground with them. After an entire minute, the explosions ceased. Smoldering craters with billows of smoke rising into the sky was all that was left now.

"Whoa," said both kids amazed.

Usopp shouted, "That seemed a little excessive."

"I don't think they would know how much is enough," Chopper commented.

"Nevermind that," Nami told the two quickly. "Let's get back to the Sunny before they come."

"Right," said the two males. Then, they all took off to their ship.

Meanwhile, the animals began the next part of their plan. The Booted Mynx was first as she let out the loudest roar she could muster. She was soon followed by all the other animals putting in the same amount of effort into their roars. Even Biri did so, and each time he would unintentionally send a jolt of electricity into them, their roars echoed out into the forests surrounding the palace area. Soon, they began to feel the ground shake and rumble beneath them.

 **ERROR! ERROR! STRONG Dex OVERLOAD! SYSTEM SHUT DOWN…**

In calling out, all the village guardians had attracted the attention of all the animals near and far. Several different creatures were charging forth. From pigs and hippopotamus to lizard and dinosaurs to insects and squids, they all came fearlessly at towards the palace. Not even the smoke and gaping gorge deterred them. Many simply jumped or flew over it and continued on their stampede.

Seeing this as they climbed aboard the Sunny, Usopp and Chopper were horrified at the sheer number and ferocity of the other animals. "They're coming!" they shouted in fright.

Immediately, the animal guardians fell back towards the Thousand Sunny. They reached it just as the humans had gotten onboard. Once so, they all turned around and formed a perimeter around the ship. As the rampaging animals drew near, the village guardians redirected any and all animals by force away from the Thousand Sunny. Helping them as well, Usopp created explosions to scare the other animals away as well. The others watched on; the kids did so with amazement while Nami was hovering over them protectively. Thanks to the protection of the village animals, and a small part from Usopp, none of the wild animals damaged the Thousand Sunny or hurt anyone onboard.

The same could not be said for the palace. Beasts collided with stone and wood walls smashing through them with raw strength. Others broke through the doors. Some found openings already made and slipped into the building to surprise the humans inside. They all began to swarm inside completely destroying everything in their path. All the pirates were shocked to find that they were now under attack again and by the same destructive beasts from earlier. They attempted to fight back, but the beasts were far more powerful than they had realized. Entire groupings were wiped out by these powerful beasts as they were completely helpless to do anything to stop them.

Oh, the irony...

* * *

Through the clouds, a jolt of electricity traveled with amazing speed. Not just one but several jolts traveled through the clouds. These were the same ones produced by Biri during his roaring earlier. They had not traveled too far but soon reached a particular cloud that appeared more solid than the others around it yet still keeping afloat. When the electricity went through the cloud, it lit up like a thundercloud. Soon, all the jolts of electricity reached the same cloud and made it light up the same way.

In doing so, the light display and the jolt of electricity reached something lying upon the cloud. A very large something; almost as large as the cloud itself. The electricity pulsated through the being but appeared to have little effect upon it; yet, it did awaken it. The creature opened its golden iris eye and it let out a mighty caw like thunder.

A new storm is brewing...


	25. Scene 25

**Author's Note: Getting closer to the new year, is everyone excited?**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 25**

 **Turning the Tide**

"Huh?"

While the rest of her group looked towards Shiki's palace, Nami had noticed some changes going on in the atmosphere. The wind was beginning to pick up with remarkable quickness. The dark clouds above them had become electrified almost instantly. She could already see low flashes and hear the soft rumble of thunder being produced. It was a clear sign of a storm coming, but she knew that logically these conditions were all too sudden. Not just that but there had been no drop in the atmospheric pressure either. To her knowledge, this was unheard of.

* * *

Within the palace, the beasts of Merville were still on their rampage. Nearly everyone inside the palace was falling to each beast's unique survival trait that had been enhanced through Shiki's meddling. None of them had the power or strength to beat even one. Most tried to escape only to be caught by another beast in waiting.

Not all were so helpless, however. The Straw Hats were not like these pirates obviously.

The first to face down one of the invading beasts was Franky. He was currently running down a hallway as one of the beasts chased him. All the while he fired bullets from his cyborg-enhanced arm at the creature. Unfortunately, they weren't having much effect on. It was a pink mollusk creature whose mushroom-like tentacles propelled it forward while also attempting to smash the cyborg.

 **Rebooting… Updating… STRONG Dex version 2 online…**

 _"Identification: Hammer Isoginchaku. While hiding in plain sight calmly, when prey passes its sight it becomes alive. It shoots forth its pounding tentacles rapidly without giving its victim a second's breath."_

Soon, the two reached the end of the hallway. The Hammer Isoginchaku immediately smashed Franky into the wall of the intersecting hallway. As the smoke and dust settled, the mollusk stood unharmed as it stood in the hole. It raised one of his tentacles with Franky within its grasp. He looked to be unconscious.

Until he smirked. Only pretending, Franky then aimed his arm revealing it to now be a cannon. "Weapons Left!" At point blank, the cyborg fired at the Hammer Isoginchaku and knocked it out. He skillfully landed back on the floor relatively unharmed himself.

Next was Brook. He was out on the porch looking out towards a garden. Before the man was a giant green fly with bulging red eyes. Upon its head was a swirl of some kind that was tan in color. Its expression showed intense anger; whether or not it was it could not be seen.

 **STRONG Dex v2:** _"Identification: Batch Fly. Annoyingly angry, by rubbing its forelegs together it produces frictions that can create fire. It can then use this fire to attack."_

"Yohohohoho!"

Brook laughed out as he sprinted forward at the fly. His sword already drawn. The Batch Fly likewise charged at the skeleton. The two swiftly passed by each other neither seemingly attack the other; and yet, Brook's sword was now held at a different angle. He was also now only briskly walking. Once he stopped, he then began to sheath his sword.

"Three-Verse Humming…"

The Batch Fly soon turned around lighting his forelegs on fire. It was about to strike the skeleton.

"Arrow Notch Slash!" Brook finished saying while at the same time sheathing his sword completely.

Before the bug could strike, the Batch Fly's wound had finally affected it. The insect succumbed to its wound and it fell to the floor. Another beast bites the dust.

Finally, Robin had her own beast. In another garden, she was fighting a huge butterfly nearly the size of a small plane. As it flapped its wings, it produced a yellowish pollen that filled the room. From Robin's distress expression, the pollen being produced was having some effect on her. A painful one at that, but that did not stop her from using her power.

 **STRONG Dex v2:** _"Identification: Agehaguera. Though beautiful from a distance, that's as close as you would want to get. As it flaps its wings, it spreads a paralyzing pollen that will immobilize even the toughest of beasts."_

Focusing as much as possible, Robin quickly grew hundreds of arms to form several large ones to immobilize the Agehaguera. Once she had it in a hold, she snapped its exoskeleton and defeated it. Unfortunately, she had inhaled much of the poisonous pollen already. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground weakly.

This gave way for another to act. Scarlet the gorilla appeared behind Robin allowing its presence to be known. As the young woman looked up at the frightening ape, the beast stared back at her with a blank expression. Then, he removed his heart-shaped sunglasses revealing his eyes to be heart-shaped as well. Not literally but in the sense of being completely captivated. Apparently, it was love at first sight for Scarlet.

* * *

"Black Vortex!"

"St. Elmo's Fire!"

On the other side of the palace, a fight between two pirates was going down. Ace and Teach were fighting it out in relative solitude. Neither human nor beast neared their scorched arena created from Ace's attacks destroying several of the palace's buildings. The man himself was also on fire as if preparing for another attack. Likewise, darkness was coming off Teach like steam. He was also pretty badly wounded and looking a bit frustrated. On the other hand, Ace looked unscratched. It would seem that this battle was one-sided.

Angrily, Teach throughout his hand as it became covered in darkness. He began to shout out, "Black…"

Quickly, Ace reacted. Grabbing a piece of broken wood, he swiftly tossed it towards his opponent.

Meanwhile, Teach finished his sentence. "Vortex!" he shouted. Instantly, the darkness began to pull gravity towards it but instead of Ace, it now pulled in the piece of wood Ace threw. Teach easily caught the wood, and in his anger crushed and sucked in the pieces of wood into his darkness.

Meanwhile, Ace smirked. "I'm on to your trick, Blackbeard," he stated confidently. "It can only pull what's directly in front of it, which means all I have to do is dodge or throw something in its path."

Teach let out a growl. "You can't keep it up forever!" he shouted.

"And that crazy endurance of yours won't either," Ace retorted back seriously.

Letting out another growl, Teach began to let darkness spread from his feet. It didn't spread far before it began to rise up in streams. The streams then transformed into ropes before becoming snake-like in appearance. He then threw his hand and commandingly spoke, "Black Serpents!" The strands of darkness immediately began to stretch out and charge at Ace. Moving with snake-like mobility.

The second commander was unafraid of the display, yet begun to run anyway to avoid them. At the same time, Ace's hands began to glow with fiery heat. "Firefly," the man said. Immediately, as he ran, little orbs of fire began to float out to form his path.

The snakes made of darkness paid no heed to this little fire orbs. They continued after Ace tough dodged any of the floating balls when one came too close. While Ace ran all around the room, the snakes continued to follow without end.

"Zehahaha!" laughed Teach maliciously. As he watched the man run around, He then shouted out arrogantly, "What happened to that bravado, Commander?"

As Ace looked out from the opposite side of their space, he could see that much of it was covered with his 'fireflies'. As well as that some number of them were close to Blackbeard. Just as he had planned.

Ace then stopped and shouted, "Fiery Doll!"

Instantly, the little fiery orbs exploded out. All together they enveloped nearly half the area. They also engulfed the black snakes and destroyed them. Not only that, the flames reached to Teach as well. Quickly, the man caught on fire, and he quickly forgot Ace to put out the fire. He rolled around the ground until his darkness powers helped in eliminating the problem. Regardless though, he was still heavily injured.

"Damn you," Teach said, heaving with exhaustion. Then, the man saw a familiar shoe near him.

Uncaring, Ace spoke out, "Flame Commandment." A ring of fire encircled both men immediately. While Teach looked quickly fearful, Ace remained calm and poised. "This is for killing Thatch, you bastard," he told Teach firstly.

"W-W-Wait!" Teach shouted frightenedly.

"Fire-!"

Suddenly, a beast - the Natsu Salamander - crashed through the building and entered the area. Both men paused as they stared up at the beast. Of course, Ace recognized it instantly.

"Oh no," he said annoyedly. "Not you…"

The Natsu Salamander sniffed the air for a moment then looked down. Like Ace, it too recognized the man as well as his flames. It also licked its lips hungrily while looking at the man.

Ace growl out in frustration. "Dammit, I don't have time-" He then felt a hand on his leg, and he immediately regretted his lack of attention.

Teach firstly laughed out, "Ha!" Then, the man used all his strength, and his power to nullify Devil Fruit power, and threw the young man into a building.

Seeing this, the Natsu Salamander became angry with the human. It lunged out to bite down on the man but was suddenly halted from behind. The beast looked back with surprise before even more suddenly being pulled back. Then its entire body began to rise up, much to them lizard's confusion. Higher and higher it rose until it came crashing down through the top of the building it had come out of; instantly defeated. Through the smoke, large and tall figures could be seen coming out of the building. As soon as the wind picked up, it blew away the smoke and dust to reveal the figures to be Teach's crewmates.

"Hey, Captain!" shouted Burgess cheerfully, looking a bit dirty.

After standing up, Teach grinned fervidly at his crew. "About time you guys showed up," he said joyfully.

"Took a while to find you, Captain," Laffitte said cheerily. He then also added, "And of course, we had to protect your secret weapon from all this chaos."

Hearing the words 'secret weapon', Teach began to grin maliciously. "Good," he said, "because I'm gonna need her now-"

Suddenly, there came an explosion of fire. Everyone looked back towards the building where a large fireball grew larger in front of them. It soon became like a sun before the Blackbeard pirates, terrifying the immensely. Of course, this was being made by Ace, who looked rightly angered.

"This is over, Blackbeard!" Ace shouted furiously.

Still grinning, Teach looked back at the flame human. "You're right, Ace, it is!" he replied back determinedly.

At the same time, Teach's crew began to smirk deviously.

Then, some soft steps were heard. They came from within the building and came out towards the Blackbeard crew. Interestingly, the crew parted to allow whoever was walking to come forward. All of them smiling down - especially down - towards the one walking up and onto the battlefield. Even Teach, now grinning even more mischievously, stepped aside to allow his opponent a full view.

And Ace was shocked. "What?" he said flabbergasted.

" **Stop…** " spoke a young girl's voice seriously.

Around the area of Ace and Teach's battleground, a familiar field of aura appeared. Its royal purple color much darker than previously seen. It engulfed even the large fireball which soon disappeared altogether. Then, the sound of laughter rang out.

"Zehahaha-zehahaha!"


	26. Scene 26

**Author's Note: Getting closer to the new year, let's start partying!**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 26**

 **Trio of Danger**

While watching everything with great interest, Mika's eyes suddenly flashed a familiar red. "Huh?" she said confused. She then also turned her head towards the palace instinctively.

Mika asked out, "What was…"

Usopp unintentionally interrupted the little girl. "What?!" he shouted with shock towards Nami. "There's a storm coming?!"

Nami explained, "The conditions are right, but it's unnatural."

"What does that mean?" asked Akio befuddled.

Even Nami looked confused despite having spoken it. "I don't know, Akio, but it's gonna mean trouble for all of us regardless."

Chopper spoke, "We need to tell the others."

"Yeah," Nami agreed. She then gave out orders, "Chopper, tell-"

"There you are!" Interrupting Nami, the voice caught everyone's attention. The animals too had heard the voice as well. They all looked around quickly before finally looking up. Instantly, they all gasped.

"Shiki!" they all shouted fearfully.

The Booted Mynx simply hissed at the man. Clearly still mad at him.

Frowning greatly, Shiki glared down at the group. "So, this your answer, Baby Doll," he said venomously.

Mika forgot her earlier concern and instead began to glare back at the old pirate captain. "Yeah!" she shouted back. She then stuck her tongue out.

Shiki clenched his teeth angrily. "Then you can die with the rest of your 'family' and all the East Blue!" he roared out. He then threw his hands out.

"Lion's Threat…"

Then immediately, the snow around the area came to life. It began to form into four, large lion heads that surrounded Thousand Sunny. Each letting out a threatening growl.

"Oh no!" screamed out Usopp, Chopper, and Akio.

Quickly, Nami held Mika close. She would protect her daughter with everything she had. Similarly, all the village guardians prepared to attack with all they had. They weren't sure what they could do, but they would die trying to fight to protect their allies.

Finally, Shiki shouted out, "Imperial Earth Bind!"

The snow composed lion heads roared out fiercely. All four moved together at the Thousand Sunny. As they did, the human males began screaming out in fright. Nami held her daughter as tightly as possible. The animals roared and hissed showing their , they would face this huge attack.

Then, there came a roar. A mighty and determined roar that all the Straw Hats recognized instantly. When the lion heads drew near the ship, one by one they began to burst back into being nothing more than listless snow. At first, everyone was surprised, but then the caw of Biri drew everyone's attention up. Immediately, the humans gasped.

"Luffy!" shouted the adults surprised.

"Captain!" shouted Akio amazed.

"Daddy!" cheered out Mika overjoyed.

Recognizing the man, all the animals roared out with glee. Even they were happy to see the man appear in the nick of time.

Standing high above on the crow's nest, Luffy stood face to face with Shiki. His body glowing a red shine with steam emanating off it as well. The man's expression was as serious as whenever he took up a fight against someone he did not like and then doubled more so. All of it directed right a Shiki.

Sensing the young man's hostilities, Shiki remained calm regardless. "Do you still want to fight me, East Blue man?" he asked threateningly.

And Luffy answered, "Yeah." He then suddenly disappeared from sight. Only to appear seconds later in front of Shiki with his arm already stretched back.

"Jet Pistol!" Luffy shouted before launching his attack.

Shiki was completely unprepared for this new speed the young pirate had suddenly gained. This unguarded moment thus gave Luffy the opening for his attack to connect directly. The resulting hit felt like a cannonball had struck the man's gut. Even blood was coughed up when the air was forced out of his lungs. The force of the attack even sent him flying back and out beyond his palace's borders.

Now in midair, Luffy was confident that his opponent wasn't done yet. He also knew that he would not be able to catch up with a flying pirate so easily. Thus, he had an idea. "Biri!" he shouted determinedly. "Gimme a ride!"

Without hesitation, Biri came swooping down quickly to head the man's call. He managed to get under Luffy, and the young man landed safely and securely upon the bird. Now, working together, the two already knew what to do.

"Let's go!" Luffy shouted out vigorously.

Biri let out a mighty caw and flew forth in Shiki's direction.

Of course, witnessing this, Nami encouraged her husband. Forgetting momentarily a certain policy of hers when around the kids. "Kick his ass, Hun!" she called out confidently.

"Go, Daddy!" Mika cheered on encouragingly. "Go Biri!"

The others did the same. And again, even the animals below were giving the man their blessings, hopes, and determination in defeating that man. Their howling also helped remind Nami of her plan before Shiki interrupted.

"Chopper," Nami spoke up immediately to her crewmate. "Tell the other animals to find out crewmates."

* * *

Elsewhere, another fight was going on with another Straw Hat. Deep within the palace, there was a room full of science tools and machines. It looked to a scientific laboratory. Of the two doors that stood opposite each other, one was ajar that showed a greenhouse. It was not the focus; that came from the other door as it suddenly exploded green fire. Through the explosion, completely unharmed, came Zoro with all three swords out and two of them on guard. He landed squarely on the floor and kept his gaze forward on his opponent.

"Piro-piro-piro-piro."

As the smoke cleared, it revealed the man who was laughing. It was Doctor Indigo, and he smiled maliciously while green, flamelike orbs floated over him.

"Piro-piro," laughed the scientist arrogantly. He then spoke with the same attitude, "You're pretty tough for someone from the weakest of the Blues."

Zoro was unphased by the insult. "Do you ever shut up about that," he asked mockingly with a sadistic grin.

Indigo quickly became angry. "You worthless pawn from the East Blue!" he shouted. He then stuck out one of his arms.

"Chemical Juggling!" The floating orbs above Indigo began to move. One by one, they shot forth down his outstretched arm and hand. Each one heading straight for the swordsman.

Reacting quickly, Zoro began to slash each of the orbs as they came at. With each slash, the orb was split and dispersed away from the swordsman. He did this repeatedly and quickly until one of the orbs finally hit. Once one connected, several more stuck quickly without giving Zoro any time to react.

"Ha!" Indigo laughed in ridicule. "How'd you like that!"

As the smoke began to clear, it revealed that the swordsman was still standing. "I don't have time to juggle with you, Clown," Zoro stated seriously.

Now, Indigo became enraged. "You…!" The doctor then raised his hands up above his head. From his sleeves, the green chemical material began shooting up and forming together into a huge ball.

"This will surely put you down, Pawn of the East Blue!" Indigo shouted furiously. He then shouted as he threw the unstable chemical ball, "Mass Juggling!"

The mass of chemicals hurdled fast towards Zoro. Any sane man would attempt to flee at such a sight; but, this is Roronoa Zoro. He was a man that faced the challenge head-on. Thus, that's exactly what he did. Standing his ground still, the three-sword style swordsman was hit by the entire attack. Once so, the ball of unknown yet combustible chemicals exploded. It created a green fire with accompanying green smoke began to fill the room.

"Piro-piro-piro-piro!" laughed Indigo arrogantly. "He took the whole thing! What a moron!"

While Indigo stood by and laughed some more, a change began to occur with the chemical fire. Its green coloration began to change into violent and bloody red. Within the roaring flame, a figure appeared completely unharmed. Of course, it was Zoro.

"Demon Aura…" As Zoro spoke, his figure began to change within the fire caused by his intense killing aura. First, two heads appeared with accompanying swords pointed in opposite directions. "Nine-Sword Style..." Two pairs of arms appeared next, and again they each held a sword in their hands. With a total of three pairs of arms, one held their swords up, another crossed in front of the man pointing downwards, and a third pair placed behind him and also crossed downward lastly. All put together, the swordsman looked like a demon.

"Asura!" Zoro declared threateningly.

Indigo gasped at the sight. "Piro?!" he shouted out in shock.

Zoro then shot forth out of the fire and smoke, using it now as his emanation. As he ran at the man, he spoke to him mockingly, "Tell me…"

Indigo attempted to fight back. "Chemical…" he shouted as he readied his attack.

"...if you were defeated by a pawn like me…" Zoro continued unflinchingly.

"Juggling!" Indigo fired off more of the small chemical balls at the swordsman. Hoping to defeat the man quickly.

This proved useless as Zoro's extra arms batted and slashed the orbs out of his way. Every last one of them, to the shock of the scientist. Zoro then took advantage of the man's pause and struck him with all nine swords in a spinning motion. "Piercing Drill!" he shouted out as he landed on the other side of his opponent.

Indigo cried out in pain. He then exploded; his chemicals ignited by the fiery-enhanced emanation of Zoro and his attack had taken on. As the explosion went off, it soon made many more explosion as it caught the material inside the room. As the whole room began to explode, Zoro - his form back to normal - left the room and shut the door. Completely unphased by what was happening in the room nor about the man himself. He then finally finished his oneliner.

"...then what kind of pawn does that make you?"

No sooner after this brawl, a troop of Sentai Hamsters appeared from down a crossing hallway. One of them spotted the swordsman and quickly informed its group of its discovery. They all then rushed over to him while squeaking with joy. Once now in front of the man, they began to form a shape with their whole group. It looked to be a ship.

Zoro, fortunately, was able to understand. "You want me to head back to the ship?" he inquired for clarification.

All the hamsters let out a unison squeak in confirmation.

The man nodded in understanding. Zoro then took off to head back to ship. As he reached the junction of hallways he, unfortunately, went in the opposite direction as from where the hamsters came. An action that legitimately shocked the hamster troop. Quickly, they went after the man to correct his course.

* * *

Elsewhere, another explosion occurred. The entire roof of one of the palace buildings exploded outward. Several various beasts followed with it; all of them unconscious. In the building, standing within a circle surrounded by more defeated beasts was Sanji and Brook. Both men stood back to back, breathing heavily, and looking a bit roughed up. Neither was either seriously exhausted nor injured. Brook even let out his signature laugh.

"Yohohoho." Brook then spoke to his comrade, "They sure are persistent."

Sanji replied, "They're damn annoying is what they are." He then took a puff of his cigarette to calm himself.

Then, there came a female scream which immediately got Sanji's attention. "That's…" Before he could finish, the chef then heard a gorilla howl next. He gasped and swiftly took off running.

"Ah!" Brook gasped with shock. "Mr. Sanji wait up!"

The two men took off through the hallways of the palace. Brook followed behind Sanji as the chef lead the way. They both soon arrived at where the source of the screams. Unfortunately, they could not see whoever it was immediately. Another gorilla howl grabbed their attention and they looked out from the deck. They looked out and then up a tower from their spot on above ground floor before finally spotting the source of the howl at the top. It was Scarlet and in his hand was Robin, currently weakened by the toxic pollen from before.

"Robin!" Sanji shouted out in furry.

Brook also shouted, "Ms. Robin!"

Scarlet paid no mind to the two men. He simply continued doing what was doing with Robin. As he held the woman up close, he began to make smoochy noises as he attempted to kiss the woman. As he did, his eyes were still very much in their personified heart shapes. He was also grunting and making other monkey sounds.

"What?!" shouted Sanji furiously. "You say you want to marry Robin?!

Brook looked at the chef with disbelief. "You understood him?!" he shouted completely shocked.

"You damn perverted gorilla!" Sanji roared out righteously. He then let his near burnt out cigarette drop and stepped on it hard before shouting out, "How dare you harass a lady in front of me?!"

Swiftly, Sanji charged at the maroon-color gorilla. It would have been dangerous so high up but as luck would have it there was rope leading up to the tower. Despite the thin runway, Sanji's determination and focus overcame the impossible and ran up it like it was a hill. He was not alone though; up ahead, there was a monkey beast sliding down the rope at the man. All the while spinning a pair of nunchucks.

 **STRONG Dex v2:** _"Identification: Monkey Trooper. A very_ - **BAM!**

Without even giving a moment, Sanji swiftly kicked the monkey out of his way. "Robin!" he roared furiously.

Full of vigor, Sanji ran all the way up the rope and smashed through the wall of the tower. Not stopping there, he also ran up the winding staircase inside with remarkable speed. Using that speed, once he reached the top of the stairs he kicked and smashed to the very top of the tower. Exactly in front of Scarlet.

Instantly, and in mid-smooch, Scarlet froze as he noticed someone appear. His lovestruck eyes even returned to normal as he turned his focus towards his unwanted visitor.

"So," spoke Sanji cooly, "you want to destroy the East Blue, huh?"

Scarlet let out a threatening roar, clearly unhappy by the interruption.

Sanji then became enraged. "Do you even know how many beautiful women live in the East Blue?!" he roared out righteously.

Instantly, Sanji began to spin around intensely on one foot. He spun for a mere moment, but it was enough to use the friction to create heat over his foot and up to his mid-calf. It glowed brightly even once he finished spinning as he completed his preparation. "Diable," spoke Sanji intensely, "Jambe!"

Roaring back, Scarlet would not be outmatched. He immediately threw a punch with his free arm. It was blocked by the fiery-enforced foot of Sanji. Not only stopping the huge fist but searing it as well. The ape reeled back in pain and looked at the blonde man dumbfounded. So much so that snot was hanging down from his nose.

On the other hand, Sanji did not stop there. Reacting faster than the dumbfounded ape. After a quick spin, the chef to launch a barrage of kicks at the beast's chest and stomach area. "Venaison Shoot!" he roared out. He then finished with a kick sent straight down upon the ape's head.

In a momentary pause, Sanji told the gorilla cooly,"This is the taste of East Blue's love."

Unable to handle the barrage of attacks, Scarlet fell into unconsciousness. Doing so, he let go of Robin right before being sent straight down through the tower. He went through every floor until finally reaching the ground. Creating a sizable crater, the beast lay defeated within it and with a seared footprint on its head.

Unfortunately, that was not the end for Sanji's concerns. "Ahh!" screamed out Robin helplessly. Having been let go by the defeated gorilla, Robin was now falling and still under the effects of the toxic pollen.

"Shit!" cursed Sanji at his own incompetence. He then swiftly ran off the roof and dove after the woman. "Robin!" he shouted out. In his mind, he would be her hero and hopefully be greatly rewarded for it.

However…

"Yohohoho!"

Having seen his crewmate in danger, Brook had swiftly taken the initiative. He leaped up into the air, soaring high thanks to his lightweight physique, and soon met with Robin in midair. Like a gentleman, he scooped up the woman just moments before Sanji could do the same.

"Are you alright, Ms. Robin?" Brook asked courteously.

"Yes," Robin replied contently. "Thank you."

Once after Brook landed, Sanji then hollered while now falling. "Brook! You shitty skeleton, why'd you take the best part?! I'll grate your skin-" Before he could finish, the man then crashed to the ground causing a ruckus.

Brook had little to say; yet, still had a comment to make. "That'll be rather difficult since I have no skin," the skeleton quipped nonchalantly.

Then came a shout, "Oi! Quit messing around!" Further down the porch, there stood Zoro surrounded by the group of Sentai Hamsters. Some even standing on the man.

"Ah, Mr. Zoro," Brook said quaintly.

Recovering quickly, Sanji soon stood back up. He then looked over as he too had heard Zoro's voice. Upon instantly seeing the man and his group, the chef nearly guffawed.

"Shut up," Zoro told the chef. He then angrily relayed the message he had received earlier, "We need to get back to the ship."


	27. Scene 27

**Author's Note: Getting closer to the new year...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 27**

 **Hurricane Touchdown**

In a field of flowers, the single most important fight of the night was taking place. Across the field, the ground was being blasted by different attacks that failed to hit their mark. These detonations moved further and further through the field as the two fighters dueled.

"Golden Lion" Shiki fighting "Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy. Neither men let up on the other as they attacked and dodged each other's attacks while flying through the air. Luffy doing so with the help of Biri. With each missed punch or kick from Luffy, each crashed quickly into the ground before swiftly coming back; thus, the main cause for these blasts. Shiki's attacks were more precise. Each attack nearly hitting its mark whether it be Luffy or his partner. Fortunately, anytime Shiki tried to attack the bird, Luffy would easily defend the bird at his own risk.

Eventually, Shiki was able to get a good punch on Luffy. The young man instantly how much more it hurt than usual, and was knocked off Biri in the process. Due to their speed, Luffy crashed and rolled in the field but swiftly recovered to now running. Ever faithful and determined, Biri quickly caught back up to Luffy and take him back on. Luffy obliged, and was brought back towards Shiki with battle-cry and a punch ready in retaliation. Caught off guard, Shiki was knocked back and into one of the small pieces of land floating about. Swiftly, in keeping with the momentum, he slashed through the floating earth and flew back towards his opponent.

The two continued their flying and fighting all the way off the island of flowers. Their battle now went into the sky itself. They crisscrossed through the air, each time trading blows near equal to each other. So enthralled in their fight that they went in just any direction. They began to skim the side of one of the floating island. In doing so, they attracted the attention of one of the beasts. It was a large bird - almost like an archaeopteryx - that came swooping down in an attempt to eat either men or bird.

 **STRONG Dex v2:** _"Identification: Jura Dura. A descendant of the ancient birds, it has learned to fly and terrorize the sky. There is little that this bird fears; except, that which flies even higher."_

Easily, Biri and Shiki were able to dodge the snapping jaw of the Jura Dura. The two then flew higher and continued their fight uninterrupted. Suddenly, Shiki was able to get another strong punch on the young man. Again, as Luffy felt it, it hurt much more than usual. The rubber man thus forced off Biri and sent hurtling through large size chunk of land. Acting swiftly, Biri descended fastly down to follow the man. Unfortunately, Luffy would crash through two more chunks of floating land before finally be caught be Biri.

Once so, Biri looked back at the man worriedly. Clucking a little with anxiousness.

Luffy recovered quickly. "Are you alright?" the young man asked concernedly to Biri. Once the bird gave him an affirming nod, Luffy smiled then began frowning with determination.

"We're not done yet!"

Then, came a reply but not from Biri. "Good!" Luffy and Biri looked up and saw Shiki right above them, grinning deviously. It may have to do with the large cube of water floating just behind the man.

"You've got real guts, Straw Hat, and I respect that," Shiki said impressed. He then changed his tone as he roared out, "But I'll be damned if I'll let another man from the East Blue defeat me again!"

Soon after, Shiki began waving his hand. The water responded immediately and flowed forth fluidly at Luffy and Biri. The bird took off instantly but the water gave chase. Unfortunately, it caught up with them and engulfed the both of them. Now both were within the water and holding their breath with Luffy instantaneously losing his energy due to being a Devil Fruit eater. They would both drown soon if nothing was done.

"Ji-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Shiki laughed aloud as he proudly watched the slow demise of a respected opponent. It seemed that his troubles would soon be over.

Then suddenly, a mighty gale caught Shiki off guard. The man was hurled uncontrollably into the sky. As the man's concentration was thrown by this surprise, the water lost its solidity and allowed its two victims to sink out of the floating cube of water. Unfortunately, they both were near unconscious. They fell all the way to the land that was fortunately below them. Though, the still crashed regardless. Through luck or impressive constitution, both man and bird survived the impact but neither moved for the time being. But at the same time, Luffy's Second Gear technique also lost its dosing effect returning the man back to regular.

Meanwhile, far above them, Shiki had finally become steady. He looked greatly annoyed before gazing up at the dark sky. "What was that about?" he asked to himself. Suddenly, another gust of wind battered against him but he held firmly in place.

"Is that a storm?" Shiki asked now with concern.

As the man watched the sky, a light began to flash within the clouds but not like in the way thunder typically does. From as far as the eye could see, a light flashed through the dark cloud. Moment by moment, the light flashed closer and closer towards the flying, floating islands. Then, at last, it appeared above the island themselves revealing something gigantic above. The wind became more intense, the clouds began to part, and that something began to descend past the clouds.

First were a pair of three-toed and orange talons as large as a ship. The underbelly soon came into view sparkling with electricity and revealing it yellow-colored feathers. Long tail feathers that almost seemed to be composed of clouds themselves. Spots could be vaguely seen through the clouds as they two were electrified. Flapping wings cleared clouds away showing the wingspan as large as all the islands in Merville combined. Finally, the head of the creature lowered. Its face similar to an eagle with a crown of five, long red feathers flowing back behind its head. Now fully seen across the whole island, it let out a mighty caw that had a remarkable familiarity to that of Biri's call.

Then, no sooner after, several more similar calls echoed out. Like the beast, several more flying creatures descended down from the sky. They all looked similar to the bird that had arrived as well as Biri, and some even look to be a cross between the two. All though were much bigger than the bird himself. They all floated around the gigantic bird; and together, they all cawed out together and became alight with electricity.

Seeing all of this, Shiki gasped in shock. "That's a whole lot of guitars?!" he shouted out mindlessly.

 **STRONG Dex:** _"Identification: Unknown."_

 **Upgrading… Upgrading… Upgrade Complete**

 **GRAND DEX online…**

 **Grand Dex:** _"Identification: Grand Hurricane Bird. This avian beast was once believed by Grand Line sailors of old to be the cause of the unusual weather while at sea. It is said to be able to uproot an entire island out of the sea."_

 _"Recommended Clarification: The animal known as 'Biri' is now classified as 'Grand Hurricane Bird'..."_

Then, the massive bird let out another deafening caw. It began to light up as electricity began to build in its body. Following the bigger bird, the many other Grand Hurricane Birds were doing the same. Then, all together, the birds began releasing lightning down upon the island with the largest of them producing several lightning bolts at a time. Every single one struck the floating islands, but a majority of them, including the biggest of them, struck the main island where Shiki's palace was located. A few beasts were even struck down as well as a few humans. Luckily, the Straw Hats were fine for the moment. The birds continued to do this for some time.

After witnessing the birds' display of power, a mass exodus was occurring. The wild beasts that had rampaged into the palace were now retreating. No longer attacking anything or one, they began to journey back into the forest. Their instincts had clued them on many things, and it had told them to leave; now.

Though a miraculous turn of events, all the enemy pirate were only looking straight up at the display above them. Seeing such a gigantic creature with such power, all their determination and courage had completely vanished. Now, they had but one thought left.

"Everyone," shouted one of the remaining conscious pirate captains. "Let's get out of here!"

Of course, none of them had to be told twice. Like the animals, they too took off to escape. They all began to flee in the opposite direction of the animals; in case the beasts felt a need to attack them again. All of them heading for Shiki's Island Ship as it was the only ship available to them.

Meanwhile, the Straw Hats were in preparation. Together, the men were tying up some large ropes to the Thousand Sunny. Not only the Straw Hats but many of the guardian animals were on deck. Much of the deck was covered in Sentai Hamsters, some even on a few of the Straw Hats and animals. Also on deck was the Booted Mynx, the Paw-tailed Sarookami, the Birds of Grace, the Curlyhorn Mallard, the Armadilleon, the Devil's Torasame, and Giant Sakura Pandeer. The remaining two, the Tri-Horned Rhinoceros and the Giraff-a-han, had taken refuge inside the empty Soldier Dock compartment along with many more of the Sentai Hamsters. All the animals - even those inside - looked up as they either saw or heard the mighty roar of the Grand Hurricane Birds. Each one looking both fearful yet unusually calm. The same could be said for their hosts though they hardly believe what they were seeing.

Robin, in particular, seemed speechless. "So," she said, "they aren't just old myths."

Though frightened by the sight, Usopp still managed to ask, "Wh-Wh-What is that!"

"A Grand Hurricane Bird," Robin spoke gravely. "It is said to be the 'guardian of the Grand Line', and powerful enough to pick up whole battleships."

"What?!" screamed out Usopp, Chopper, and Akio.

Mika shouted out in amazement, "That's so cool!"

Nami commented out fearfully, "To think just one animal could cause such stormlike conditions."

"Mama, Mama!" Mika began shouting with excitement. "A lot of those birds look like Biri, do you think they're Biri's family?"

While unsure completely, Nami could make an educated guess. "Perhaps," she told her daughter uneasily.

Then, there came a shout from above. "Nami!" Sanji called out from the yard. He then hollered down, "We've secured the rope!"

Brook then commented out, "That task sure worked me to the bone." He then made a small gasp. "Ah, but wait, I'm not but bone," he said before laughing out jollily. "Yohohoho! Skull joke!"

As he climbed down, ignoring Brook's (awesome) joke, Franky approached the navigator. "Do you think this'll work?" he asked.

In response, Nami only smiled. "I don't know," she told him honestly. Shen then stated confidently, "But I have a gut feeling it will."

Hearing this, Sanji couldn't help but become enamored by the woman's attitude. "Oh Nami-swan," he spoke out, "you're so beautiful when you're confident."

As he climbed down, Zoro shouted out a comment. "She's already married, you dumb Love-cook," he stated annoyedly, censoring himself lest he incurs more debt.

Sanji quickly reacted back. He shouted, "I know that you-"

Then, interrupting the chef, a bolt of lightning struck near the Thousand Sunny. So close it was that the impact shook the ship a little. Instantly, near everyone had been shocked. The kids the most as they quickly hid behind the closest adult; Mika her mother and Akio with Usopp. Of course, the lightning had also frightened the likes of Usopp, Chopper, and Brook as well. Nami, Sanji, and Franky simply had their mouths agape in stunned silence. Zoro and Robin had immediately become tense. Even the animals had been shocked; most of the big animals had their fur stand on end while many of the hamsters had fainted. Overall, the strike had been a close call.

"We better get out of here soon!" Franky shouted out with great concern.

Disregarding the threat, Nami stated stubbornly, "Not until Ace and Luffy get back."

A shout then stated viciously, "He won't be coming back!" All the Straw Hats and the animals looked up. In the sky, Shiki was looking down on them with a malicious gaze. Completely unafraid of the lightning raining down on his island. Still, he looked clearly unhappy and definitely angry. All of it about to be directed at the group.

As for the Straw Hats, they were all on edge. Many of them holding their weapons or were ready to fight; yet, many of them looked unsure if they could even win against this legend. They would try regardless.

* * *

Meanwhile, still in where they fell, Luffy and Biri were recovering. Though feeling a bit exhausted, Luffy sat up and rubbed his aching head. Biri followed suit only shaking his head clear of the pain and dirt. When Luffy finally came fully together, he began to look around until catching sight of the lightning display on the island above him. Of course, he saw the giant bird covering the moon above.

"Whoa!" Luffy shouted amazed. He then noticed the similarity of the birds to his companion. He thus looked at the bird and asked, "Hey, are those your kin?"

After fully recovering, Biri looked at Luffy confused. He then looked up to notice the scene above and gasped with surprise. The bird then looked back at Luffy and happily chirped.

Luffy smiled and looked back up into the sky to watch the birds. As he did, he spotted something in the sky that was not a bird. Something that made her frown angrily. "Shiki," he stated.

The Straw Hat captain then turned to Biri again. "Can you still fly, Biri?" he asked.

Noticing the man himself, Biri looked at the human resolute. He then nodded "yes" in reply to the question.

Immediately, Luffy then stood up. "Then take me back," he told the bird as equally determined if not more so. Then, he looked back up.

"Back into the sky!"

Standing up, Biri immediately let out a caw of determination.


	28. Scene 28

**Author's Note: Getting closer to the new year... about 5...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 28**

 **From the East Blue**

"You think you're so clever, don't you, you bastards," Shiki asked rhetorically, seething with anger.

Below the "Flying Pirate", the Straw Hats and the animal guardians from the village stared up at their enemy worrisome and on guard. The kids hid behind Nami though still peering around her to look at the man. None of them understood why the man was here, but his comment from earlier resonated in their minds.

Nami was the first to ask out, "What did mean earlier? About how 'he won't be coming back'?"

Now, Shiki began to grin cruelly. "I killed your captain!" he roared out gleefully.

Most of the Straw Hats were surprised by the phrase; though, not from shock. They were simply surprised by the man's overconfidence. Thus, none of the adults looked overly concerned. On the other hand, the kids had been easily swayed by the man's words. Akio was actually shocked by the news, and wondering what they were going to do. Mika too had also been shocked and even scared as well. Then, her eyes flashed a crimson red, she was suddenly overcome with a special feeling that she easily recognized, and she began to smirk proudly.

Unaware of this, Shiki continued his boasting. "You might as well give up," he told the group confidently, "and I might allow you to live a little longer."

"Is he serious?" Zoro asked rhetorically with a brow raised.

Then, Mika stepped forward. "My daddy's not dead, you smelly old fart!" she shouted out confidently.

All the Straw Hat adults gasped with shock immediately after hearing Mika. Never had they heard their little girl utter such profane - though actually very mild - profanity.

On the hand, Shiki was absolutely livid. "What did you say you little brat?!" roared the man furiously.

Like with Mika, the Straw Hat adults now looked at Shiki. Gone was the initial shock and surprise from hearing their favorite little girl "curse", it was now replaced with intense anger towards the man. How dare he call their sweet girl a brat. That was enough to get them back into a more serious fighting mood.

Regardless of her family, Mika continued on shouting. "He's coming!" she told the man even more confidently.

Before Shiki could speak, an enraged shout rose over the wind. "Shiki!" The man and the Straw Hats looked back as something began to rise into view. They all recognized that it was the bird, Biri, flying fast into the sky. Just barely seen, Luffy was hanging onto the bird as well. In seeing him, the Straw Hat crew began to grin proudly; both for Luffy and Mika, though they did not understand how she knew. On the other hand, Shiki was furious. To think a child would get the better of him. He thus shot a glare at the girl, and he noticed immediately the girl's eyes glowing red before they returned to their normal brown coloration.

"So, Observation Haki huh?" Shiki commented lowly to himself with anger.

Then, the man stuck his hand out and twirled it. From nearby, one of the many floating rocks came to Shiki's side. It was a fairly sized one; big enough to crush the Thousand Sunny entirely. Impressed with himself, Shiki grinned maliciously and looked at the group of rookie pirates with an evil intent.

"Now die!" Shiki commanded out viciously.

Shooting his hand forth, Shiki commanded the rock to hurdled forth. It instantly picked up speed and began heading for the Straw Hat crew's ship. Closer and closer it got, looking to be completely unstoppable.

"108 Caliber Phoenix!"

With at least a hundred feet left, the giant rock was split in two. On the other side, Zoro stood on the railing of the Thousand Sunny. All three swords had been drawn and in hand and mouth. He remained standing despite the now two rocks heading towards him, his ship, and crewmates. The man was not worried as two others took up the duty of finishing off the rock.

"Coup de Vent!" shouted Franky.

"Veau Shoot!" shouted Sanji

With their respective attacks, Franky blasted one half of the rock into pieces while Sanji sent out a strong kick in the dead center of the other. Though Franky's attack had completely destroyed his rock, Sanji's attack only sent it flying back at Shiki. Then, after a few seconds of flying backward, the rock began to break. It then exploded into pieces and continued its flight back at Shiki.

Then, another took up the attack. "Special Attack," shouted Usopp as he held up his Kabuto slingshot and pulled back the sling. He then roared out, "Sky Dragon Star!"

Growling, Shiki would not fall to his own attack. "Sleeping Lion," he said as he extended his hand. In response, the broken pieces of rock stopped and dropped lifelessly. He then looked at the group of pirates unimpressed.

"Is that all you got-" Shiki was interrupted as he saw the attack the sniper shot forth. Swiftly, he dodged the dragon-shaped lightning.

The attack thus continued up into the sky before exploding in an electrical burst. This attracted the attention the big Grand Hurricane Bird. It looked out to find the source but instead noticed the event going on on the island. Taking interest in this, it began to fly closer to the area.

"Shiki!" Luffy shouted out enraged

Bringing his attention back to Luffy, Shiki was starting become annoyed with all these distractions. Mentally, he summoned another but a smaller boulder. He then called out in rage, "Just die already!"

The "Flying Pirate" then shot forth the rock at Biri. It hurdled fast towards the bird: almost too fast. In seeing it at the last second, Biri launches the man high into the sky. Without a moment for himself, the yellow bird was smashed into the rock.

"Biri!" Luffy cried out horrified.

Shiki, despite missing his true opponent, was satisfied nonetheless. "Ji-ha-ha-ha!"

As they watched, both rock and bird fell from the sky. Everyone - including the guardian animals - watched in shock as their friend listlessly plummeted down towards the darkened sea.

Running up to the railing, Mika was shedding tears as she watched her friend fall. "Biri!" she cried out despairingly.

Arriving too late, the huge Grand Hurricane Bird had witnessed the action of its own. While its relation to Biri was unclear, it was nevertheless angered by the attack. It let out an enraged caw and began to spark with electricity.

Meanwhile, still high in the air, Luffy was furious. "Shiki!" he roared out.

Shiki looked back with a scowl. "Huh," he said arrogantly.

"I'm not going to let you have your way!" The straw hat wearing man then bit into his thumb.

"Third Gear," Luffy said through his teeth. He then sucked in air and blew it all through the hole in his thumb. "Bone Balloon," he said during so. His hand thus immediately expanded to gigantic proportions thanks to the stretchy nature of the man's rubber body. Then, he forced a large amount of air through his body and into his foot. Once so, he raised his foot into the sky.

The action was noticed by the Grand Hurricane Bird. It knew nothing of the man yet sensed a resounding resolve that felt both righteous and pure. Feeling as such, the giant bird let itself glow and spark with electricity. Then, in an act of justice, it launched its stored electricity at the human sensing that he would somehow be fine. The electricity hit the man, and it continued feeding the man for whatever he was about to do.

"Ji-ha-ha-ha!" laughed Shiki with amusement. Misinterpreting the scene, he then shouted out an unwitting remark, "You stupid boy! Be electrocuted and fall!"

Of course, Luffy was practically fines and still gearing up to attack. Being made of rubber also made him completely immune to its shocking effects. Even more importantly, he could also use and redirect.

Thus, Luffy roared out towards Shiki in righteous rage. "The only one gonna fall is you!"

From below, the Straw Hats watched with great hope. Many even began shouting out encouragements to their captain/father.

"Get him, Luffy!"

"Finish this!"

"Smash his face, Daddy!"

"Go Captain Luffy!"

Luffy continued to shout, "I won't let you hurt the East Blue!"

Still determined, Shiki retorted back. "You can't beat me, Straw Hat!" he roared, "I'm the man who rules the sky and soon the seas!"

"You're not gonna rule anything!" Luffy shouted back, "Not me! Not my crew! Not my family! Not the East Blue! Not anyone! Anymore!"

" **GIANT THOR…** " Luffy then began to lower his leg.

In seeing this, Shiki thought fast. He immediately summoned more rocks to his side. Firstly, he used several of the rocks to form a protective shield in front of him. The remaining rocks were then fired at the gigantic incoming foot. All of them hit their mare but all of them were instead destroyed. Shiki gasped with shock at the sight as the leg came closer and closer.

As the attack got closer, all the Straw Hats shouted out with all their might in hope and encouragement. "Do it!"

Even the animals, both the village animals and the Grand Hurricane Bird, too gave out their respective calls in support of the human.

And Luffy obliged them all. " **AXE!** " he roared out.

For second, Shiki thought his protective shield would hold. Only to find that in another second to watch it crumble apart much like his attack had. Now, he was completely exposed to the attack and its blinding light created by the combination of lightning added. The old pirate was completely exposed and completely helpless to do anything to stop it. Thus, he could only contemplate his fate.

 _'Am I really about to be defeated by another man from the East Blue?'_ Finally, with nearly all his options gone, Shiki had but one last thing he could do; bewail.

" **ROGER!** "

And Shiki was then engulfed by the blinding light; and presumably, by Luffy's gigantic foot.


	29. Scene 29

**Author's Note: Getting closer to the new year... now about 4...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 29**

 **The end**

Luffy's giant and electrified foot crashed down upon Shiki and further down onto his palace. The man and foot crashed through the roof, the floors, and the ground itself destroying it entirely. In doing so, the large foot also ignited several dangerous explosives. The remaining chemicals used by Indigo, the leftover dynamite used to release the beasts upon the palace, the tons of stored ammunition for use for the "Golden Lion Alliance". All no longer needed for their intended purpose. They were now used aide in Luffy's grand attack. Thanks to the electricity surrounding his foot, Luffy's attack ignited them all and exploded. The combined forces not only destroyed the palace entirely but also created a large quake that cracked through the island entirely in all directions. Throughout, a shock wave of electrical energy spread through the cracks for a short distance.

As a massive crevasse began to form, one such was heading for the Thousand Sunny. The earth began to split beneath the ship, and the wooden vessel began to sink. Luckily, the Thousand Sunny was no ordinary vessel. Once the Soldier Docking doors were closed, to keep the animals safe, the ship's carpenter activated its most trademark ability.

"Alright!" shouted Franky confidently before pulling the lever. "Let's get out of here!"

The two kids then shouted out together eagerly, "Coup de Burst!"

Activating on the Thousand Sunny's stern, the huge engine began to glow as it gathered energy and air. It took but a few seconds of charging before it finally released everything in one blast that propelled the ship forward and up. As they flew by the dock, the pirates a part of the "Golden Lion Alliance" gaped with shock as the ship flew above them. Before any of the pirates could do anything, they were suddenly engulfed in a massive cloud of dirt and smoke. Even the Grand Hurricane Bird too was covered by this plume. Luckily, all aboard the Thousand Sunny were able to speed out of range of the cloud. Still, many of the crew was looking back toward the impact. All of them looking extremely worried.

"Luffy!" shouted Nami anxiously.

Mika too shouted fearfully, "Daddy!" Again, her eyes began to glow red. She again recognized that something - her father - was in the distance but his 'light' - as she saw it - was fading. This made her begin to tear up a little, not knowing why though.

Then, Mika saw as the "light" fell that it stopped its fall.

Before Mika could say anything, the Thousand Sunny began to fall. Losing its momentum from the blast. It was now that the Straw Hats began to use their trump card. They released a large black cloth from the deck. It unfurled up above the Thousand Sunny, attached to the ship by rope, and became a parachute for the ship. Coincidentally, it was the flag of none other than Shiki; the man's skull with a steering wheel behind it. Regardless of whose flag it belonged to, it worked perfectly as it slowed down the ship's descent dramatically.

Now safe, the whole crew looked back at the floating islands now completely covered in smoke. The animals too join the humans, and they all began to look for the man that defeated Shiki. Even if their animal senses, they could not smell the man thanks to the smoke. Of course, the smoke also blocked everyone's view to see the man. All except Mika, whose Observation Haki allowed her to see her father's dim "light".

"There!" Mika shouted as well as pointed out. As everyone looked at her, she then reiterated more urgently, "Daddy's right there!"

"Mika…" Nami said worriedly.

Before Nami could tell her daughter otherwise, a low roar began to echo throughout. Everyone immediately looked back at the huge smoke cloud; right where Mika had pointed to. As everyone stared at the spot with bated anticipation. The roar began to get louder and louder. At the same time, the first of sun's rays began to shine from above the clouds. When the sunlight reached down to the spot Mika had pointed out, and it revealed a something flying out of the cloud. To their surprise, they recognize what it was.

"Biri!"

Indeed, Biri the Grand Hurricane Bird was okay. Mostly; he had received a swollen eye and a few scrapes but was otherwise fine. He flew pretty haphazardly too but kept the person in his back secured. The bird even let out a squawk with a joyous victory.

And upon the bird's back, there was Monkey D. Luffy. Not like his normal self though but as a mini version of himself. He held onto the Biri's neck as he breathed out heavily from exhaustion.

"Luffy!" cried out most of the crew in joy.

Seeing the mini person, Mika gasped with surprise. "Who's that?!" she asked confusedly. "Where's Daddy?"

Of course, in hearing this, all the adults and Akio began to laugh. A good hearty one that signified their ease and relief. But also, they knew that this would happen to their captain thanks to his Third Gear technique. Though she was confused at first, Mika began to smile and giggle as well.

Then, Usopp noticed something else going on behind them. "Guys, look!" he shouted and pointed out.

Everyone aboard the Thousand Sunny looked back and gasped again with surprise. One by one, the floating islands fell out of the cloud of smoke. Water too fell along with them.

Curious, Akio asked out, "What's happening?"

Robin answered, "It would appear that Shiki's power over the islands has ended."

While everyone watched on as the once impressive sight of floating islands was destroyed, none could see closely what else was falling. From the main island, the remains of the palace were falling. Not only wood and stone but a few bodies as well. The first was Shiki himself; completely unconscious. It would look that he would fall into the ocean and likely drown as is the fate of all Devil Fruit eaters. No sooner after, his lackeys Indigo and Scarlet fell too. Both as unconscious as their leader. They would not readily drown but be left to the mercy of the ocean.

Though not seeing that, Akio made a gasp as he realized something else. "But! What about Xiao and Bite and Bark and the villagers?!" he asked concernedly.

"Look!" shouted Chopper suddenly.

Quickly, everyone looked out again. Through the smoke, several figures could be seen flying out of the smoke. It was the villagers, and their wings had finally grown out. Now able to fly, the whole village had taken to the sky. Even the ones like Ever, her friend, and all those enslaved by Shiki had also gained the ability to fly. Not everyone with wings though could fly; Xiao's grandma was still too weak and had to be carried by presumably the girl's father. As for the girl herself, Xiao was able to fly happily with her friends and family.

And Bite and Bark as well.

Riding upon one of the larger (though small compared to the biggest) Grand Hurricane Birds, Bite-Bark sat perfectly well while both were panting happily. They weren't the only ones; the rest of the Grand Hurricane Birds appeared around the flying humans. They seemed to be guiding the humans and even protecting them as well.

The whole crew gasped with surprise at the sight. Of course, they were happy to see the villagers safe, and they began to cheer and wave towards them in commendation. The animals too did the same only even more so with joy.

Then, after returning to normal, Luffy gave out a shout. "Hey, Nami, Mika!" he called out joyfully.

Of course, Nami and Mika looked back to see the bird incoming and the man waving and grinning at them. They both immediately smiled - one happily and the other excitedly - before rushing over to meet with the man.

Just as Biri crashed landed on the deck, Luffy flipped onto the deck and landed on his back. He had been surprised by the situation but nevertheless smiled happily. Arching his neck, he looked back to see his two important ladies and began smiling even brighter towards them. He then told them cheerfully, "I'm back!"

"Luffy!"

"Daddy!"

Both females immediately jumped on top of the man and embraced him tightly with happily. The Monkey D. family had been reunited again, and they were all happy to be so. Thus, they all began to laugh as Luffy hugged Nami and Mika back.

Around them, the crew watched on with a warm smile. Some like Chopper and Usopp, whom both had moved to tend to Biri, took a moment to be thankful for this scene. Even Biri, despite his limited sight, felt content by the scene before falling unconscious.

Meanwhile, much was happening around the gently floating Thousand Sunny as it descended down. Right below, a fleet of marine battleships had arrived at the scene too late. All had already been settled and the bad guys defeated. Now, they had to brace themselves for as each island crashed into the ocean that created tsunami-sized waves. Luckily, the large size of the ship allowed them to withstand the impact of each wave. As the sea began to settle and all the islands now in the ocean, the marines began to make their move. The first priority was the pirates, most having conveniently been on one ship that also fell from the sky. They were all promptly arrested but still, they had a bigger target to find.

"Have we found him yet!" shouted out a marine vice-admiral to the men.

One soldier reported, "Vice Admiral sir, we-"

"Sir, look!" shouted a soldier quickly as he pointed in the sky.

Another of the marine soldiers noticed and shouted out, "It's Shiki!"

As the vice admiral looked up, his discerning eye began to realize an error. "That's not Shiki," he stated with disdain.

The vice admiral then began to holler out new orders. "Man the cannons! Target the ship in the sky, it's the Straw Hat Pirates!" he roared out.

Of course, the marine soldiers quickly hurried to carry out the order. But before they could, a sea-shaking call rang out through the sky. Every marine froze as their attention turned to the sky in the other direction. From the smoke cloud, the big Grand Hurricane Bird emerged unscathed and flew forward. All the men gapped at the sight and remained unmoving as they watched the bird fly over them. Then, to their shock, it snatched up the Straw Hat pirates out of the air. The jolly roger of Shiki cut from the ship in the process and falling down lightly until landing in the sea.

Thus ends the Golden Lion Pirates, the "Golden Lion Alliance", and the grand stratagem to conquer the East Blue.

And with another mighty call, the Grand Hurricane Bird took the Straw Hat Pirates away from the marines. Disappearing into the sky even despite its grand size. All the marines were left utterly speechless.

The Straw Hats has escaped once again.


	30. Scene 30

**Author's Note: Getting closer to the new year... and now to 3...**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Scene 30**

 **Onward**

 _"And that's our report, sir."_

Sengoku made a sigh before answering. "Thank you," he replied politely. "Keep up the good work, soldier."

 _"Yes, sir!"_ said the voice through the Transponder Snail. Immediately after, the snail fell asleep as the psychic link closed.

Again, Sengoku let out another sigh as he looked down at his desk in contemplation. He then commented aloud, "We were completely useless in this situation."

"Bwahaha!"

Instantly annoyed, Sengoku looked up from his desk anger. "Stop laughing, Garp!" he shouted.

Sitting across from the man, Monkey D. Garp sat on the floor with a bag of rice crackers and laughing. The boisterous marine felt no sense of shame as he did so. He was completely amused by the situation.

After laughing a little longer, the big marine began to speak casually. "Ah, don't worry about it, Sengoku," he told his superior. He then jokingly stated, "They'll get my grandson next time"

Glaring, Sengoku told the man angrily, "You're a real bastard, Garp."

Garp let out another boisterous laugh; clearly not offended. He then stated after laughing,"At least Shiki is now back where he belongs."

"Yes, forgotten again by history," Sengoku stated assuredly.

Then, the Transponder Snail began ringing again. Fastly, Sengoku picked up the dial. "Yes," he replied instantly.

 _"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir!"_ announced a voice through the snail.

"Yes, what is it?" Sengoku asked.

The person on the other line responded unsurely, _"Well sir, we seem to have...an offering."_

Arching his brows with confusion, Sengoku asked, "What are you talking about?"

"There's a pirate here, one that we don't know of yet, and he..Wow!" From the noises that the snail was making along with the expressions, it seemed that the man of the other side had been pushed away. It then sounded as if someone else picked up the dial, and the expression of the snail's matched that of a new speaker. One with a sadistic and cunning grin.

 _"Hey, the name's Teach but you can refer to me as Blackbeard,"_ spoke the voice.

"Blackbeard?" Sengoku replied confusedly.

 _"I've got a trade for you guys,"_ Teach offered immediately.

Then, the voice of the previous speaker spoke through the dial. _"Sir!"_ he shouted urgently. _"That man, he captured…!"_

Both Sengoku and Garp looked intensely at the snail. The urgency in the man's voice brought great interest as well as concern to the two men. They both listened in close as they awaited the man to explain.

* * *

On an unusual island, like a hodgepodge of other weather islands cumbersomely put together, there was but a single lonely village upon it. It looked completely ruined and nearly destroyed, but it was a fixer-upper. That's how its people saw it, and already they were beginning to rebuild. With the men and youth back, the work would go much faster. Though, the formerly enslaved were quite shocked at the skill set of those they left behind had acquired. Of course, they had more help than that; the village guardian animals were aiding them as well. The workforce of the Sentai Hamsters was an unbeatable force. They had even roped in a few of the wild beasts from the island to aid them. With Shiki's men no longer antagonizing them, the mood for those animals had begun to calm. Attacks had started to become uncommon, and when they did their strength had waned considerably. Enough that the village guardians could easily deter them away. Daft Green was no longer required for their protection. Harmony was slowly beginning to return to the island of Merville.

Thus, things for this community were beginning to return to normal. And with it, good times would be had; especially, by none other than the children. Though the terrain had changed and their "playground" destroyed in the crash, the new landscape and broken boundaries allowed them to explore and expand. The freedom to play even farther excited them all.

No more so than their two newest friends. Mika and Akio played to their heart's content. Them, and Bite-Bark of course. The young canine had been readily accepted by both the village and the animals guarding it. The dog was especially well-liked among the children. So he and the pirates played together with all the other kids. Xiao especially. Of course, the village kids' had become even more fun now that they could fly. Something Mika found extraordinarily fun but Akio had found disapprovingly and childishly unfair. He had at least Xiao to give him a fair chance, even if he didn't understand why when the girl seemed to redden every time he was near her.

Unfortunately, play time was over for the two pirate kids.

"Mika! Akio!" Nami called out from afar. "It's time to go!"

Both kids stopped and immediately frowned. "Aww," they said with disappointment.

Soon, all the kids stopped their frolicking and landed on the ground around their friends. Each one began giving their goodbye to them. Once they were done, Mika and Akio took their leave with Xiao and Bark-Bite following with them. Together, they joined with Nami, and they all walked through the village to the other side. At the very edge, most of the Straw Hats were around to meet them. Franky and Usopp had helped in some of the reconstruction. Providing material was Zoro cutting down trees for the people. Sanji had provided his cooking for the village while Chopper healed anyone who needed it. Luffy was there as well but was there just to see his little girl. Once they had all met, they began to take their leave being seen off by the village and the animals. Here, Xiao and Bite-Bark parted ways with their friends.

"I'll miss you, Mika," Xiao said sadly.

Instantly, Mika gave the girl a hug. "Sorry about what I was about to say before," she apologized firstly. Then, she happily stated, "And thanks for being my friend."

When the girls separated, Xiao was smiling and nodded to Mika. While Mika took off towards somewhere behind Xiao, the village girl instead turned to Akio. At the moment, the boy was saying goodbye to his canine companion.

"See ya, boys," Akio said compassionately.

First, Bark gave the boy an affectionate lick. Soon following, Bite too showed his affection by licking the boy as well. Once both were done, Akio made a small chuckle from the tickling of their tongues. The Golden Orthrus then stepped back and away from the boy, and Akio turned to see that Xiao was waiting for him.

Akio smiled then grinned at the girl. He then spoke while giving her a small wave, "Bye, Xiao."

Blushing from his actions and words, Xiao felt a sudden urge of boldness. Clenching her fist, she quickly closed the gap between her and the boy. She then leaned in and gave the boy a quick kiss on the cheek. She then blurted out, "Come back soon, Akio!" She then took off running while covering her face, redden deeply from embarrassment.

As for Akio, he was left completely dumbfounded. Still, he unconsciously rubbed his cheek as he felt a tingly sensation from.

Then came a call, "Woooo!" It came from Usopp as he and the rest of his group had watched this exchange and had been impressed.

Mostly. "How the heck…" Sanji said in disbelief.

"Way to go, Lil' Bro," Franky said proudly, giving the boy a congratulatory thumb up.

Shedding a tear, Usopp was also proud of the boy. "He's growing up to be a fine man," he stated nostalgically.

Zoro then quipped out, "Unlike the Love Cook."

"Shut up!" shouted Sanji furiously.

"Even a little boy can pick up girls better than you."

"I'll kill you!"

As the two men started up another fight, they were ignored by Luffy, Nami, and Mika as they were busy off to the side. All three of them were saying their goodbyes to Biri, who was sitting off to the side recovering. He was located in a neat little pen made by Franky and Usopp to commemorate his bravery and aid. The poor bird was still recovering from his injuries but had been patched up by Chopper. Now, he was awake for the moment and being given some warm gratitude.

"Thanks for everything, Biri," Luffy told the bird gratefully. He then gave the bird a head rub before allowing Nami to go next.

When she approached the bird, Nami smiled down at him brightly. "Thanks for taking care of us," she said before giving the bird a peck on its forehead.

Once her mother was done, Mika rushed in and hugged the bird tightly. "Thanks, Biri!" she shouted happily. She then looked up at the bird, "I hope you'll be all better when I see you again."

Biri began to tear up with emotional affection from this family. He made a soft cooing sound showing his own gratitude back to the group. Unfortunately, due to his injuries, he could move much less give the whole group a hug. So instead, he gave the family his signature salute to them.

The family recognized the gesture and they all smiled back at the bird.

Then, with all said and done, the crew took their leave. The Xiao, the animals guardians, and the village waved off the group happily and eternally grateful. It took the group a short while before reaching the Thousand Sunny, docked off a beach that had survived the crash. Brook greeted them, and once after they set sail. The anchors raised and the sail unfurled, the Thousand Sunny sailed forth to the open ocean.

As the ship sailed, it passed many of what remained of the floating islands. It almost seemed that Merville was now an archipelago. Each island they passed, an animal took notice of them and left them alone to do their own thing. Growing about in various spots, the once coveted IQ plant now grew unabated and freely. Finally, on the last of the islands rested the Grand Hurricane Birds. While most of them remained asleep, the large one awoke for a moment as it noticed the humans' presence. It watched curiously as the vessel passed its island before finally heading back asleep.

Now, with only the ocean ahead of them, the Straw Hats were off towards their next adventure.

As they stood nearby each other, looking out to the sea, Nami then looked over at Luffy. Her expression full of concern. "Are you sure we shouldn't look for Ace?" she asked.

Luffy looked and Nami and grinned. "Yeah, he's fine," he said confidently.

Then, Luffy raised his hand and pulled a piece of paper out from the band of his hat. "See," he said showing it Nami, "the Vivre card thing says he's fine."

Despite the logic, Nami's concern had yet to cease. She knew as well as the rest of the crew what a Vivre card meant and how it worked thanks to an explanation from her good friend (Lola) two years ago. Still, she also recalled something more. "But doesn't the card look smaller than before?" she questioned crucially.

Looking at the card again, Luffy still didn't seem bothered. "Maybe," he replied. He then stated with surprising clarity, "But it seems fine now."

Nami couldn't argue with that assumption yet something still didn't feel right. Unfortunately, she had nothing to really go on, and she knew that her brother-in-law was also a pretty powerful pirate backed by an even more powerful captain. For now, she just had to settle for the fact that the Vivre card was okay for the moment.

Without warning, Luffy suddenly placed his arm on Nami's shoulder and pulled her in for a sideways hug. "Ace'll be fine," he stated with a confident grin. He then stated further, "I'm sure we'll see him again soon."

Finding comfort in her husband's embrace, Nami was beginning to feel better. "Alright," she said smiling.

Now, with her concern on the backburner, Nami now let out a sigh of relief. "Regardless, I'm glad that's this is all over," she stated aloud. She then stated, "But I think I need a vacation after all that."

"Yeah," Luffy said in excited agreement. "A vacation sounds good right about now.

Robin then spoke aloud having overheard the couple."You know, Luffy," she said wily, "you and Nami have never been on a honeymoon vacation."

Luffy looked at Robin curiously. "Huh? Honeymoon?"

But, that is an adventure for another story to tell...


	31. Closing Credits

[Insert song: Fanfare by Mr. Children]

 **Kuyandatte ato no matsuri. Mo kin? ni te wo furou.**

Saa tabidachi no toki wa ima. Omotaku shizun da ikari wo age.

On a table which surrounds a thin palm tree, various items sat around each significant to each of the Straw Hats. Going in order of the most recent there was a stick – Akio, a large toy box filled with many different toys – Mika, Brook's cane, a cola bottle for Franky, a book that Robin may have read, Chopper's stethoscope, a pack of Sanji's cigarettes, Usopp's first weapon Ginga Pachinko, one of Nami's mikans, both Zoro's bandana and his three swords, and finally Luffy's straw hat. As the song finishes its first few lyrics, waves passed through the scene making the objects disappear in the same order as listed. When it was all gone, the table bare, the scene changes to a silhouette of the Thousand Sunny sailing on the open sea.

 **Congratulations! Ima mune ni takanaru fanfare! Mou Gradation mugen de no ni kamifubuki yo mae.**

As the silhouette sailed forth, images from East Blue appeared in the corner. The first being Luffy's home village, Windmill Village, as Woop Slap sat on the deck of Makino's bar as said girl offered him a drink. As he accepted the drink, a pair of cheerful drunks waved to the man making him shout angrily at the two.

Elsewhere at Zoro's dojo, the master of the dojo watched over his students as they did their exercises. The man smiled down at them, glad that they were diligently keeping with the lessons.

At Cocoyashi Village, Nojiko sat with Genzo and Doctor Nako as they enjoyed the mikans from Bellemere's plantation. As Nojiko offered a bit to Genzo, whatever she said made Genzo frustrated and took a large bite of his mikan slices. The action just made the other two people laugh cheerfully.

 **Kakugo naki mono wa sare ate do nai ruro no tabi. Nobody knows kokai no matsuro.**

On Gecko Island on the outskirts of Syrup Village, Kaya sat underneath a tree studying her medical books diligently. In the background, the former Usopp pirates – Ninjin, Tamanegi, and Piiman – chased after a puppy probably pretending to be a monster of some kind. A few seconds later, those same three boys were running back as the puppy's mother chased them along with her puppy.

On the floating sea restaurant Baratie, the two chefs Patty and Carne worked diligently preparing the food as Patty quickly sliced the fish and Carne stirred the pan. As they did so, Zeff walked by checking in on the two. Seeing their work as acceptable, Zeff continued as he checked the rest of the chefs.

 **Chotto matte to iwaretatte dotchi ikunda to towaretatte. Kotae wa itsumo kaze no naka ni arundesutte.**

While the background scene of the silhouette of the Thousand Sunny changed to its mainsail, the corner box of East Blue's citizens now sifts to the left corner as it continued on. A young five-year-old girl with shiny jet-black hair had several targets in front of her as she practiced shooting them with a slingshot. Next to her was an older boy with messy ear-length black hair was trying to help her with her aim. To the side, the girl's parents watched on proudly along with a young woman also with black hair that reached her shoulders wearing a marine captain's outfit also watching on smiling.

In the city of Goa of the Goa Kingdom, some kids were playing at the edge of the forest. There were two young girls, one with short, wavy, brown hair that went to her shoulders and the other with black hair tied in a ponytail and wearing big, round glasses. The two girls were playing with wooden swords while wearing paper hats, the brown-haired girl wearing an eye-patch, as it seemed they were playing pirates. Not too far off watching amusedly, a girl a little older than the other two with red hair tied into two braids sat on a bench not minding the stares they were getting from the snobs, both adults and children, walked by. None of the girls minded as they kept trying to defeat the other.

 **Itsu no manika otona ni natte ukkarishite matome ni natte. Ushinatta takaramono sagashi ni ikou!**  
 **  
Kuyandatte ato no matsuri. Mo kinou ni te wo furou.**

Seating on his large seat as the ship, Moby Dick, sailed through the New World, Whitebeard lifted up a newspaper reading the headline. He raised an eyebrow as he read the big news of the day. As he read through the paragraphs, the man brow began furrowing greatly. A great vein began to pulse out. A shadow grew over his eyes. A rage was building that was as mighty as the tectonic forces that move the continents. Something or someone had incurred his wraith.  
 **  
Saa tabidachi no toki wa ima. Kaze wo yonde dekai ho wo hare!**

Elsewhere on some unknown island somewhere in the Grand Line, Shank was reading the newspaper intently. A dark expression grew on the legendary pirate's face. Something in the news had given the man an ominous feeling. One that he felt would have huge repercussions.  
 **  
Chotto matte to iwaretatte dotchi ikunda to towaretatte. Kotae wa itsumo kaze no naka ni arundeshitakke?**

We now return to the Straw Hat crew as they all formed a V-line in front of the helm as Franky steered the Thousand Sunny. The whole crew looked out towards the sea as took in calming wind and splash of the waves. All but the children, currently absent. While Luffy stood at the center point, Nami – wearing standard outfit - walked up close to him. She then slipped her hand into Luffy's hand and leaned in on him. Of course, Luffy liked this and happily returned the gesture, and shared the moment with his wife.

 **Kitto kyou mo anata no hitomi de. Boku mo shiranai atarashii boku wa guruguru tabi wo shiteru.**

Ohohoho! Itsuka dare mo ga otona ni natte chakkari shita otona ni natte.

Then, Mika and Akio ran onto the deck. Mika immediately stood just in front of her parents as she wrapped herself in their welcoming arms while Akio stood next to Zoro as he too put on a cool, calm, collective act as the man did himself. Everyone then smiled at the scene ahead of them as the ship continued forward. Only to finally blast away with one last Coup de Burst as they went forward towards their next adventure.

 **Ushinatte takaramono sagashi ni ikou~!**

* * *

It was now nighttime, and the Thousand Sunny was anchored in calm waters with a crystal clear sky above her. All was quiet on the usually noisy ship. The biggest noisemaker, Mika, was sleeping soundly in her room with Akio, who was just as soundly sleeping. They were the only ones currently sleeping; meanwhile, the rest of the crew had gathered for another "adult" meeting. In the library, also Robin's room now, they had gathered to discuss an important issue. As she was the one who called for it, Nami expressed her concern to her crew as well a certain piece of knowledge she had come across.

"...And that's what Shiki said." Nami said as she finished up her explanation.

For a moment, the whole crew sat around in silence. Each one contemplating about everything Nami had told them. No one had anything to say even as another moment passed on. Finally, someone spoke.

"After everything had settled down," Nami began again, "I asked Robin to find anything about 'Sovereign' or 'Haki'."

Seeing it as her cue, Robin began to speak. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find much," she stated disappointedly. She then further explained to her crew, "I was not able to find anything on 'Sovereign's Haki' but there was some information on Haki I could piece together."

"So," Zoro spoke interestedly. "What is it?"

"From what I gathered, it's an ability with some properties we've seen in Skypeia. It seems similar to their 'Mantra' in that it can predict movement. It also seems to have an ability to produce an 'armor' of sorts that can strengthen the fighter. Most of its hearsay though."

Usopp began to frown. "So, not much to go on," he reiterated with discontent.

"One book did mention that those who train in 'Haki' tend to be extremely knowledgeable in it," Robin added. "It seems it has an oral-type tradition of passing on knowledge about it."

Nami immediately asked, "So if we find someone who knows about Haki, they might know something about what Mika has?"

"Most likely," Robin said conclusively.

"That's all good and all," Franky spoke out looking concerned. "But how are we gonna find one of these Haki guys?"

Ready with an answer, Robin picked up a book nearby. She showed the cover to all the crew with a title 'Grand Line'. She then explained, "From what I've discovered, it appears that there are lots of people with this ability in the New World."

Hearing this, Luffy began to grin. "Great!" he said eagerly. "Then it'll be easy finding someone!"

"I concur," Brook said casually.

"Alright!" Luffy said eagerly with a big grin. "Once we're done with the honeymoon, we head for the New World!"

"Yeah!" said the rest of the crew together.

 **The End**


	32. Straw Hat Family Moment 2 (Song)

**[Song Insert: "We Are!" written by Hiroshi Kitadani. As sung by the Straw Hat crew]  
**  
In a dark room, moonlight shined upon a crib. Within the crib lied a sleeping babe bundled up in pink blankets. She slept sounding even as two figures approached the side of the crib. The moonlight revealed them to be Luffy and Nami. Once up beside the crib, Luffy hugged his wife and lover from behind, which Nami enjoyed greatly. Then, they both looked down into the crib. They beamed down brightly upon the babe, their baby; Monkey D. Namika. In their eyes, they held so much love and hope for their child. One day, they hoped she would grow and become whatever she wanted to be.

Then, everything faded away into a bright background leaving only the baby behind. Her blanket began to unravel around her; partially blocking the baby from view. When the blanket unfurled away, it revealed Mika now as she is currently; a child. She looked surprised at first but soon noticed that she wasn't alone. She turned around to see her whole family and Akio standing before her. They were all smiling at her, and then, they all - except Mika - began to sing.

 **ALL:**  
 _Come aboard, and bring along all your hopes and dreams,_  
 _Together we will find everything that we're looking for!_

 _One Piece!_

Mika gasped happily and ran forward. The first to meet her was Nami, who immediately picked her up. As she gave the girl a hug, she began to sing to her daughter. While doing so, images of the islands that appeared in the story "Straw Hat Family" and "STRONG(ER) WORLD" faded pass them.

 **Nami:**  
 _Compass left behind,_  
 _It'll only slow us down,_  
 _Your heart will be your guide,_  
 _Raise the sails and take the helm,_

Nami places Mika down allowing her to float downward. Neither were scared of course as this was nothing to be scared of. As Mika floats down, a pink nurse's hat dropped down upon Mika's head. Chopper then appears next to her as he and Robin sing.

 **Robin and Chopper:**  
 _That legendary place,_  
 _That the end of the map reveals,_

Chopper then moves aside. The nurse's hat disappears and falling down appear a pair of fake glasses. Robin then floats next to her with two books in hand. Mika takes the book, pretends to read, and acts like she understood everything. Behaving similarly to Robin, who found the imitation amusing.

 **Robin & Chopper:  
** _Is only legendary,_  
 _'Till someone proves it real!_

Chopper and Robin float on up. Taking their place comes Luffy who catches his daughter. Immediately, he places his straw hat onto his daughter's head, who enjoys it greatly. He then places her down on a floor as he begins to play with her.

 **Luffy:**  
 _Through it all, through all the troubled times,_  
 _Through the heartache, and through the pain,_

Luffy then begins to mock battle. Mika copies each of his movements in order; Pistol, Whip, Gatling, and finally Pistol again. The last move aimed directly at the screen.

 **Luffy:  
** _Know that I will be there to stand by you,_  
 _Just like I know you'll stand by me!_

As they continue floating, Luffy is now joined by all the crew as the circle around Mika. They then continue singing.

 **ALL:**  
 _So come aboard, and bring along all your hopes and dreams,_  
 _Together we will find everything that we're looking for!_  
 _There's always room for_ you, _if you wanna be my friend,_  
 _We are, we are on the cruise!_  
 _We Are!_

As the instrumental plays, each of the Straw Hats passes by Mika. Each adult giving her a pat or rub on her head. Only Akio did not do this; instead, he and Mika share a high five. Mika then begins walking forward proudly as an image of the Going Merry sails in the faded background. After a short moment, the Merry fades into the Thousand Sunny. The current ship of the Straw Hat Pirates then Coup de Bursts off the screen.

Now stopping, Mika sees Zoro float up, the man looking very uninterested while lying on air. The young girl immediately tackles the man joyfully which gave the man a small shock.

 **Zoro & Franky:**  
 _Some may know what's best,_  
 _That is something I'll concede,_

Mika soon loses Zoro, and a pair of sunglasses drop onto her face. At first surprised, she quickly enjoys the new wear as Franky enters up playing his guitar. As she floats around, Mika then performs Franky's signature pose, which makes the cyborg immediately proud. Just behind him, Zoro is nearby leaning on something and watching all with a content smile.

 **Zoro & Franky:  
** _But I won't second-guess,_  
 _When it's time to take the lead,_

The two men then float off along with sunglasses. A small chef's hat then dropped onto Mika's head. She then landed on a kitchen counter and Sanji appeared with mixing bowl in hand. Mika looks quite happy. Sanji and Brook then begin to sing.

 **Sanji & Brook:**  
 _If we should meet again,_  
 _I will tell you how I am,_

Sanji twirls away, the chef hat disappears, and the counter is replaced with a piano bench. A piano appears in front of Mika and she excitedly begins to play the song. Brook then appears near her playing his violin, playing the same song. Sanji also appears again without his cooking bowl and stand beside the piano.

 **Sanji & Brook:  
** _All the places that I've been to_  
 _And stops I now have planned._

The two perverts then floated on up and the piano disappeared. Mika then ran until she came across Usopp and Akio. Both happily greeted the girl. They two then begin singing while also playing with Mika.

 **Usopp & Akio:**  
 _We may find that danger's all around_  
 _With our backs up against the wall,_  
 _But I see a golden opportunity,_  
 _To prove that we will never fail!_

Instead of disappearing, the two males lead Mika forward. Usopp and Akio then joined the other Straw Hats. Mika then stands in front of the group as they all continued singing.

 **ALL:**  
 _Set a course full speed ahead, through the darkest night,_  
 _We're all together, and treasure is not what we're looking for!_

Excited, Mika then sings,

 **Mika** :  
 _An epic time's at_ hand, _if you wanna be my friend,_

All the Straw Hat grin proudly. They all, including Mika, continue the song.

 **ALL:**  
 _We are, we are on the cruise!_  
 _We Are!_

Mika takes off running towards her family. Once she catches up, they too begin running.

 **ALL:  
** _So come aboard, and bring along all your hopes and dreams,_  
 _Together we will find everything that we're looking for!_

As the Straw Hats run, they soon find themselves on the deck of the Thousand Sunny. They all immediately stop to gather together. Each Straw Hat starting with Luffy begin to place their hand in the middle.

 **ALL:  
** _There's always room for_ you, _if you wanna be my friend,_  
 _We are, we are on the cruise!_

Everyone then tosses their hand in the air as a group.

 **ALL:  
** _We Are!_

 _We Are!_

Then, Luffy and Nami with Mika between look to the camera smiling.

 **Luffy, Nami, & Mika**:  
 _WE ARE!_

 _ **See You Next Time,**_

 _ **Pirate Kids**_


End file.
